Early voters were unable to cast their ballots at a North West polling centre on Tuesday after a truck crash forced its closure for the first day of early voting A Liberal Party truck delivering materials to the Quakers Hill Community Centre polling station crashed into the facility on Monday preventing its opening the following day for early voters It appeared that the roof of a porte-cochère at the community centre was resting on top of the truck after the crash The collision tore the roof off of one pylon which bore advertisements for Greenway candidate Rattan Virk “We sincerely regret any inconvenience this has caused for the local community,” a Liberal Party spokesperson told the Daily Telegraph The Australian Electoral Commission confirmed the booth would not open on Tuesday and said it was “assessing the damage to this facility and will make a decision about whether the facility can be used or will need to be relocated in the coming days.” A receptionist at the Quakers Hill Community Centre told City Hub that voters would be able to cast their ballots on Wednesday from 8.30am to 5.30pm the truck was still wedged under the roof on Tuesday as someone was seen removing its Liberal branding revealing the logo of a truck rental company Voters in the electorate may cast their ballots at nearby early voting centres which are open in Blacktown and The Ponds Tuesday marked the commencement of early voting for the federal election, with polling stations opening across Sydney. Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope encouraged voters to be aware if they needed to vote early. “If you can vote on election day Saturday 3 May then that is what you need to do. If you can’t then you can vote at one of our many early voting centres across the country.  I encourage all voters to consider their circumstances and plan their vote,” Pope said. “The bulk of our work still happens on election day, but for a variety of reasons it’s clear from past elections that more Australians are needing to access early voting options. Just over half of all voters cast an early vote, including a postal vote in 2022, and we expect that number to be similar this year.” Booths will be closed on ANZAC Day. Some will be closed the day after, and some will not open until the final week of the election. “Australian elections are unique and special in many ways – including the variety of voting options provided,” Pope noted. “In many democracies around the world people have just a single location and single day to cast their vote.” Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright © Star Observer 2025 . All rights reserved. Website by G Squared Copyright © City Hub 2025 . All rights reserved. Link copiedShareShare resultsBy chief election analyst Antony Green posted Fri at 2:00pmFriday 2 May 2025 at 2:00pmFri 2 May 2025 at 2:00pm Updated 1h ago1 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 12:05pm updated 6h ago6 hours agoMon 5 May 2025 at 6:50am | Michelle Rowland (Labor) since 2010. Minister for Communications. Greenway covers 90 square kilometres in Sydney's west and north-western suburbs running north from the main western rail line in Blacktown between Old Windsor and Richmond Roads to Tallawong and then across Windsor Road to include Rouse Hill. The electorate takes in parts of Blacktown and Quakers Hill along with Lalor Park, Kings Park, Glenwood, Parklea, Stanhope Gardens, Kellyville Ridge, The Ponds and Rouse Hill. Greenway loses Labor voting suburbs south of the western rail line and Abbott Road to McMahon and Parramatta. For the first time in decades, the electorate now extends north of Windsor Road into Liberal voting territory around Rouse Hill. The areas removed voted 63.7% Labor in 2022, the areas added voting 62.4% Liberal. Together they result in the Labor margin being cut from 11.5% to an estimated 8.0%. See polling place result map below for detail of the boundary change. (Victories by a party of government are indicated by thick coloured underlining.) Was originally named as a One Nation candidate for this seat. Rex is a former NSW Police officer and former Australian Army Reserve soldier. He committed almost 20 years of national service to his country. In the past 10 years he has created a successful security and Investigations business, providing specialised and boutique services throughout Australia. Subramanian has called western Sydney home for more than a decade. He is a technical architect with two decades of IT experience and he states a deep commitment to grassroots organising and community volunteering. Originally from India, Virk settled in Australia 18 years ago and works as an occupational therapist and rehabilitation consultant. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) A high-profile real estate agent is being investigated by the consumer protection regulator over accusations of underquoting Josh Tesolin and the Ray White branch at Quakers Hill in north-west Sydney are being probed by NSW Fair Trading Mr Tesolin is regarded as one of Australia's top-performing agents and made headlines after earning $7million in sales commissions at just 26 years old in 2021 He has collected numerous industry awards and his agency gained recognition in 2022 after selling a remarkable 549 homes in just one year A NSW Fair Trading spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia an investigation had been launched 'The Strata and Property Services Taskforce within NSW Fair Trading is investigating Quakers Hill Ray White Real Estate and Josh Tesolin following proactive compliance blitzes into underquoting and complaints,' she said no further comment is available at this time,' she said with agents facing fines of up to $22,000 for failure to comply agents must provide a reasonable estimate of a property's likely selling price in the agency agreement the highest price must not exceed the lowest price by more than 10 per cent Daily Mail Australia does not allege Mr Tesolin has engaged in underquoting only that there is reason for NSW Fair Trading to investigate him Bluestone Property Corporation director James Anderson said several factors could lead to properties being sold well above the price guide 'Often properties that are going to auction can usually sell for up to (or beyond) 10 per cent above the top end of the quote range because auction conditions provoke emotional A Ray White spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia the agency was 'proud of our transparency professionalism and adherence to NSW Fair Trading requirements' 'Josh Tesolin is not aware of any personal investigation into him,' she said the corporate licensee responded to an investigation by NSW Fair Trading; since that date fine or regulatory action taken by NSW Fair Trading against the corporate licensee or Mr Tesolin.'  Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Tesolin for comment Major terror attack 'was just HOURS away' before it was foiled by the special forces and police:.. 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An elected Dutton Liberal Government will commit $3.8 million for the construction of a community hub to be operated by the Life Anglican Church in Quakers Hill An elected Dutton Liberal Government will commit $3.8 million for the construction of a community hub to be operated by the Life Anglican Church in Quakers Hill.  The community hub will include a significant meeting area said the project will allow for the delivery of before and after school programs community group meetings and the hosting of multicultural events throughout the year.  “Life Anglican Church does so much to bring our vibrant community together and this hub will only enhance their capability to deliver more invaluable spaces and services,” Dr Virk said.  Melissa McIntosh MP said this commitment is indicative of Rattan Virk’s understanding of the local Greenway community needs.  “Not only does Rattan know what the Quakers Hill community deserves but she will fight for it,” Mrs McIntosh said.  “Greenway and the northwest of Sydney has been taken for granted and ignored by Labor leaving local families without the essential community infrastructure and services they need.”  Sydney’s northwest is growing and the need for community infrastructure could not be greater or more immediate.  “This hub will enable families from across the northwest to flourish,” Senator Kovacic said.  This commitment is part of the Liberals plan to get Australia back on track.  To read more about our plan, visit nswliberal.org.au/our-plan  Donations by individuals to registered political parties of between $2 and $1,500 in a financial year are tax deductible. Phone: 02 8356 0300 Privacy Policy Authorised by Chris StoneLiberal Party of Australia 131 Macquarie StreetSydney NSW 2000Phone: (02) 8356 0300 Privacy Policy An agent from north-western Sydney is under investigation by NSW Fair Trading due to accusations of underquoting NSW Fair Trading has launched an investigation into real estate agent Josh Tesolin and his agency Ray White Quakers Hill If you check the box above before you log in you won’t have to log back into the website next time you return even if you close your browser and come back later a NSW Fair Trading spokeswoman explained that an investigation had been launched into the Quakers Hill agency following “proactive compliance blitzes into alleged underquoting and complaints” no further comment is available at this time,” the spokesperson said Underquoting has been illegal in NSW since 1 January 2016 when reforms that were created to stop real estate agents from understating property prices were introduced to the “Property Stock and Business Agents Act (NSW) 2022” Earlier this year at a Parliamentary committee meeting Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading Anoulack Chanthivong said that underquoting had been a priority focus of the Strata and Property Services Taskforce to lift the sector standards Chanthivong noted that 379 inspections into underquoting were conducted in NSW during FY2023–24 resulting in 148 identified breaches that led to approximately $143,000 worth of penalty infringement notices the regulator would address underquoting through both regulatory measures and engagement with the industry Earlier this year, in March, members of Consumer Affairs Victoria visited over 50 auctions across Doncaster and the surrounding suburbs to address complaints about agent misconduct and noted that underquoting is the top real estate sales issue the regulator is contacted for Victorian Consumer Affairs director Nicole Rich said the “deceptive conduct has no place in Victoria’s real estate market” “Underquoting is an unfair practice that can mislead prospective buyers into spending time and money on properties that were always outside their budget and can distort the market,” Rich said Real Estate Business does not allege that Tesolin or Ray White Quakers Hill has underquoted any sales and only acknowledges that NSW Fair Trading has begun to investigate the agency Transport has developed a proposal for a four-lane divided road along Townson Road and Burdekin Road linking Richmond Road Marsden Park in the west and Burdekin Road The length of the project is about 3.6 kilometres View or download a larger version of the map (PDF, 8.12 MB) Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) granted Special Infrastructure Contribution (SIC) funding for Transport for NSW to develop a proposal for the upgrade of Townson and Burdekin Road Transport completed this work and further development of this project is ongoing.  Transport for NSW invited feedback from the community on the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for Townson and Burdekin Road Upgrade We have prepared a submissions report (PDF, 2.63 MB) which summarises and responds to the feedback received from the community and stakeholder For more information see our September 2024 community update (PDF, 477.24 KB) We are finalising the submissions report following the display of the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) Stage 2 and concept design improving road capacity to meet future traffic growth supporting residential and employment growth improving connectivity to the West Schofields precinct and encouraging active transport along the corridor Transport for NSW is seeking feedback on the environmental impact assessment called the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for the Townson and Burdekin Road upgrade Transport for NSW held its second and final community session online on Wednesday 21 September to provide the community with an opportunity to ask questions and seek further information The video of this session can be viewed below The REF is open for comment until Monday 24 October 2022 Transport for NSW sought community feedback on the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for Townson and Burdekin Road Upgrade Thank you to all those who made a submission on the REF we will prepare a report and publish online Transport for NSW will continue to provide the community with updates as the project progresses We have prepared a submissions report (PDF, 8.51Mb) which summarises and responds to the community’s feedback for this project is available Transport for NSW will continue to keep the community updated as the project progresses Transport for NSW sought feedback in February and March 2021 on the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) for Townson and Burdekin Road Upgrade To ensure the health and safety of the community and our staff we replaced face to face community information sessions with online information sessions on the NSW Roads Facebook page Transport for NSW held a number of community sessions in July and August to help inform our future road plans in the North West Growth Area We invited feedback until the 16 August 2019 and where applicable we are contacting individual residents to discuss their concerns We will keep the community informed as the design progresses Transport has completed this work and further development of this project is now being managed by DPHI.  Some documents on this page may not comply with accessibility requirements (WCAG) If you are having trouble accessing information in these documents, please contact us For further information about this project please contact Email: nwga@transport.nsw.gov.au Privacy Statement: Transport for NSW is committed to protecting your personal information Information collected via the subscribe to Garfield Road upgrades will enable us to email you relevant information regarding projects along this corridor We will not publish or disclose your personal information to any third parties unless you consent or as authorised by law Aggregated or depersonalised information which does not identify you may be published or disclosed to third parties Providing personal information is voluntary however we rely on your participation to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information obtained and we may not be able to communicate with you directly if you do not provide your personal information Transport for NSW recognise and celebrate the diversity of Aboriginal peoples and their ongoing cultures and care of Country We pay respect to traditional custodians and Elders past and present In partnership with the NSW Government Department of Planning and Environment we are creating two new off leash dog parks at Heber Park Hebersham and Paterson Reserve Quakers Hill Dog parks can provide many benefits for dogs including rules and information about the use of the park Our 'Have Your Say' platform was open for community comments about the proposed new off leash dog parks from 30 August to 28 September 2018 Based on this feedback we will now proceed to plan for the construction of the proposed off leash dog parks Construction is anticipated to occur in April 2019 We acknowledge the Dharug people as the original custodians of the land on which Blacktown City is built We pay our respects to Elders past and present and acknowledge the Aboriginal people for their custodianship of this land We will work together for a united City that respects this land and values the contribution to our community and culture of all people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage.  Police seize copies of novel to be forensically examined as 33-year-old charged with producing child abuse material A Sydney woman has been charged with producing child abuse material in relation to a novel New South Wales police said they began investigations in March “following reports of a fiction novel containing child abuse material” About 12.30pm on Friday detectives attended a home in the western Sydney suburb of Quakers Hill where they arrested a 33-year-old woman Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email The police also executed a search warrant at the home seizing several hard copies of the novel they said will be forensically examined The woman was charged with possessing child abuse material disseminating child abuse material and producing child abuse material She was granted conditional bail to appear before Blacktown local court on 31 March A large crowd of palm-waving worshippers, including women wearing saris, thronged Mary Immaculate Catholic Church in Quakers Hill on Palm Sunday to commemorate Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem Christians throughout the world celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey where he was greeted by cheering crowds waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna” The feast also commemorates the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ final journey to the Cross Monsignor Cesar Echano MSP encouraged more than 500 devotees to reflect on the divine love story during Holy Week “Make this week holy because it’s an encounter with the Bridegroom,” Msgr Cesar told the crowd gathered outside the church He added that Holy Week and the Week of the Bridegroom cannot be separated This is a metaphor rooted in biblical passages like Ephesians 5:22-33 which compares the relationship between Christ and the Church (the bride) to the covenant between a husband and wife Image: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta Msgr Cesar reminded the gathered faithful to observe the Church’s traditional practice of fasting and abstinence on Good Friday and urged everyone to keep reflecting throughout the week on the events leading up to and including Jesus’ crucifixion He suggested praying the Stations of the Cross as a family and watching religious movies during Holy Week Quakers Hill-Schofields altar adorned with palms to celebrate Palm Sunday where devotees re-enacted Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem by gathering around their beloved priest waving palm fronds These palms were taken home by parishioners and next year will ultimately be turned into ashes for Ash Wednesday “As a parish we wanted to do something a lot different this year and so we created a space where we could bring the Scripture to life,” Parish Secretary Anthony Saliba OSB explained The Bible recounts how children were active participants in Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey raised their hands to answer questions about their symbolic encounter with ‘Jesus the Servant’ “It made me feel like Jesus was here walking among us,” said Christine, aged 9, a pupil at Mary Immaculate Primary School Quakers Hill said when she thinks of Jesus she thinks of “love and forgiveness” Eight-year-old Jace, a pupil at Holy Cross Primary Glenwood Ariel, a Year 3 pupil at St Aidan’s Primary Rooty Hill said he felt happy thinking about Jesus “because when He died for us churchgoers formed a procession into the church throwing down their palms as Msgr Cesar approached the altar preceded by a cross-bearer and other servers The path was strewn with a colourful sari, a nod to the high number of Quakers Hill’s population — 16.8% — who had nominated Indian as one of their ancestries in the most recent Census Sari-wearing churchgoer Latha Chandran was especially delighted by this custom who lives in India and is visiting her son “Only it’s usually a red sari carpet because of the King of the Jews,” she said unpacking the significance of the colour in Catholic liturgy symbolising the blood of Christ and Christian martyrs and also the colour used on Passion (Palm) Sunday View the photo gallery below or on Flickr.  Following the resounding success of their inaugural office in Castle Hill The Studio Estate Agents continues its rapid expansion to better serve clients in the dynamic Blacktown areas Founded just over three years ago by directors Ismail Ates and Marvin Dayupay, The Studio Estate Agents has quickly risen to prominence since its launch in February 2021 The agency’s commitment to excellence and client satisfaction has propelled it to become one of the fastest-growing offices in the Hills District including achieving the prestigious title of number one office in their core service area of North Kellyville “We are thrilled to bring The Studio Estate Agents’ unparalleled service and expertise to Quakers Hill,” Ismail Ates “Expanding into Quakers Hill allows us to meet the increasing demand for premium real estate services in this thriving community.” The new office in Quakers Hill will significantly enhance The Studio Estate Agents’ service coverage across Blacktown areas This expansion not only broadens their geographic reach but also strengthens their commitment to delivering exceptional real estate experiences tailored to the unique needs of each client “We are excited to announce that our new office will bolster our property management team with additional members,” Marvin Dayupay “This expansion enables us to further elevate our service standards and continue providing personalised professional property management solutions.” The Studio Estate Agents’ expansion into Quakers Hill underscores their dedication to innovation and growth within the real estate industry By expanding their team and service offerings The Studio Estate Agents aims to set new benchmarks for excellence in property management and sales across Blacktown and beyond News Sitemap we're happy to send you some reminders Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications Home> News> World News A family who decided not to sell their home to developers despite being offered a load of money ended up having a plethora of new homes constructed around them The Zammit family in Australia have five acres of land most of which is taken up by their sizeable lawn which as you can see looks a smidge out of step with the other homes around it While many of their neighbours took buyouts to pack up and move away from the Quakers Hill suburb of Sydney, the Zammits stayed put and rejected an offer of AUS$50 million (about £25 million) The family didn't even make a counter-proposal, signalling that they'd rather stay put than sell up for around 50 times the value of the house Realising they weren't going to buy the family out the developer just continued with building houses around the family land and now the home is an island amid a suburban sea Although the neighbourhood has changed a lot there are some folks in the area who are quite glad that row after row of suburban housing is punctuated by a big patch of green grass and a house that looks quite different from the rest A few local residents have said the Zammits' place actually makes their homes feel nicer to live in as it leaves them feeling like the area is nice and open Of course there are some who wonder if perhaps this isn't over and some way might be found to shift the family off their property and make way for dozens of new houses that could earn a developer millions Apparently this could be done by council rates as some suspicious sorts claimed that if the council wanted they could crank the rates up and make the property too expensive for the Zammit family to live in Owning a valuable home and being able to afford the upkeep are two different things, which is why if you ever win a big house in some kind of prize draw the smart move might be to sell it as soon as you can The spokesperson for Blacktown City Council said the body 'has no plans to acquire the property and has not had any negotiations to acquire the property' "The property rate applied to this property is the same as all surrounding residential properties," they said so all the people nodding knowingly and saying 'that's how they get you' in worry that this family will be priced out of their home have nothing to fuss over Turning down an offer of AUS$50 million is quite a hefty decision but in the family's defence it looks like a very nice house Topics: Australia, Home, Money Joe graduated from the University of Salford with a degree in Journalism and worked for Reach before joining the LADbible Group. When not writing he enjoys the nerdier things in life like painting wargaming miniatures and chatting with other nerds on the internet. He's also spent a few years coaching fencing. Contact him via [email protected] InstagramXThreadsSnapchatTikTokYouTubeLAD Entertainment For information directly relating to bushfires please call the Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service Website here. [external link] We responded to over 150,000 incidents in 2023-24 The incidents displayed below are note-worthy incidents that have been published as media releases or tweets Details about incidents may change and should not be used as emergency information and/or advice North Parramatta | The fire at Dunlop Street, North Parramatta has been contained but is expected to smoulder through the morning. Because there may be smoke in the area, residents and businesses in the vicinity are advised to keep doors, windows, and vents closed. View on X [external link] Fire and Rescue NSW acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders This is probably not the page you’re looking for Known for his relentless energy and innovative strategies Josh credits auctions with transforming the way he sells property In a wide-ranging interview on the Elevate Podcast a while back he outlined how “auction is just a method of sale but it is a method that I have come to embrace.” and he stands by that sales technique which has made him one of the most successful agent in NSW “My vendor clients tell me they are attracted to the shortened selling time frame their ability to pick their auction date and creating urgency around the property vendors want their sale to be an unconditional sale which can be achieved under auction conditions.” Josh’s auction clearance rate speaks volumes with his personal success rate sitting at 88% and swears by the method’s ability to create urgency and deliver results “Not everything sells under the hammer; sometimes I will say to a vendor we are under auction conditions until midnight Some deals are done after the property is passed in but with all the parties and decision-makers on site “We do not pressure our vendors to sell under the hammer That is part of my client-focused methodology it is about my vendors and their real estate experience.” He also believes auctions offer benefits beyond faster days on market: “With auctions buyers have a clear deadline to work towards Most of our auction properties come with a pre-purchase pest and building report made available to prospective purchasers so they are not forking out for property inspections for each property they are interested in bidding on It is my experience that buyers like on-site auctions where they can ‘eye-ball’ their competition which gives them confidence in bidding.” The shift to auctions came after Josh joined Ray White in 2020 a move that helped him adopt the brand’s well-established auction culture “When I first opened the office I was the licensee in charge and it became apparent to me that being the person that looks after compliance and also being the main fee earner was not sustainable what I love and that is listing and selling from open homes to pre-settlement inspections “The volume of transactions and the sheer pace of the office is We operate from a single office in Quakers Hill somedays you are flat-out on the phone it is so busy.” This delegation allows Josh to focus on high-value activities such as negotiating deals and securing new listings Josh’s marketing strategy is another cornerstone of his business From bus ads and corner signs to sponsoring schools and sports teams his name and face are everywhere in his local community “I love reinvesting in my local community each weekend hordes of local kids wear sports uniforms sponsored by my office the more I invest back into marketing … I know that when people want to sell,  they’re going to think of ‘Josh Tesolin’ straight away.” His investment in marketing extends to social media where his auction videos and weekly wrap-ups generate tens of thousands of views “A lot of agents are scared to invest in promotion and marketing but I see marketing as an investment,” he said and self-promotion puts me on the shopping list when vendors are looking for a real estate agent to sell their property “My favourite way to market is when a vendor and or a purchaser provides a video testimonial sharing their great experience of selling through my office sharing their experiences with other people looking to transact in real estate.” his advice is simple: have a strong work ethic and learn from your mistakes “My office in 2025 is a far cry from what it was two years ago I put my success to date down to consistently doing the work and they do it for three weeks and see no success; their interest dwindles,” said Josh “Agents reading this hoping to replicate my success I would like to say I am nowhere near done yet Watch this space; there is much more to come This year I am focussing on finding more of a work/life balance so as to spend more time with my wife Sophia and young son Emilio while enjoying this exciting and rewarding industry that we are all lucky enough to be a part of Quakers Hill Uniting Church’s 6:30pm service will feature two teenagers sharing their testimony.  Mark Watson is the Youth and Young Adults Worker at Quakers Hill Uniting Church He told Insights that the service was the latest example of how the congregation involves its young people in ministry.  “One of the key areas I see this bear fruit is in our monthly Night Church here at Quakers Hill Uniting Church,” he said  “We are intentional in creating opportunities for our youth and young adults to not only participate and contribute to the function and mission of the congregation.”  The Youth and Young Adults Worker role is funded and made possible by the Synod’s Growth Fund’s Strategic Grant which Mr Watson described as an investment in young people’s lives “I love the theme of ‘Families and communities are informed and involved’ It’s definitely at the heart of our ministry and vision and certainly something we have adopted from the Child Safe Standards as part of our safe church practices,” he said Quakers Hill Uniting Church’s evening service is not aimed at any one particular demographic as the congregation aims to reach a broad range of people the youth and young adults are instrumental in shaping the order of service and experience.  “The hearts and passions of our young people are nurtured and encouraged in order that they are blessed by God as He works in and through them,” Mr Watson said.  “They inform the community about the work of Christ and the church which has led to ongoing growth in relationships This has also been a key factor in our new friends joining us.”  The congregation’s young people meet with ministry leaders at the start of each month held on the last Sunday of each month.   “We also have a WhatsApp group chat where we chat about the service throughout the month and generally connect with each other digitally,” Mr Watson said.  “Ideas are taken seriously and therefore we intentionally seek to engage them in carrying out Quakers Hill Uniting Church’s vision and mission to ‘Love because God first loved us’ and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Insights is the magazine of the Uniting Church in Australia With daily news and views on culture and theology Copyright All rights reserved | Site by Intelligent Developments About Insights NSW Police have charged 10 people and executed 74 Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) searches as part of a week-long operation targeting organised criminal networks across the state The State Crime Command's Raptor Squad and Raptor North with the assistance of State Intelligence Command conducted a 'Week of Action' between Tuesday 16 and Friday 19 August 2024 and various prohibited weapons including knives All of which will undergo further forensic examination Detective Superintendent Andrew Koutsoufis said these operations are aimed at suppressing criminal behaviour officers spoke with individuals allegedly linked to criminal groups while also executing FPO searches and search warrants," Det Supt Koutsoufis said that is a good indication that these targets don't readily have access to such weapons "High-visibility policing strategies such as these will continue to target those who deliberately engage in criminal behaviour and successfully disrupt the activities of criminal groups." Strike Force Raptor was established in 2009 before becoming a standalone squad in 2021 Raptor Squad conducts proactive investigations and intelligence-based high-impact policing operations to prevent and disrupt conflicts and dismantle any network engaged in serious organised criminal activity Anyone with information, including relevant photos and videos, that may assist the Raptor Squad can report it directly to investigators via their online reporting page: https://www1.police.nsw.gov.au/Default.aspx?id=49 or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Information provided to investigators will be treated in the strictest of confidence. Elderly residents needed significant assistance evacuating after the fire started in the early hours of the morning Link copiedShareShare articleFamilies who lost loved ones in the 2011 Quakers Hill nursing home fire in Sydney's west have launched a class action against the operator of the facility The fire was deliberately lit by nurse Roger Dean who was trying to cover up his theft of prescription drugs He lit two separate fires in beds and the second took hold while firefighters were still attending to the first. Dean was jailed for life. At his sentencing, Dean was described as self-serving and self-obsessing by the judge. (ABC TV) James Chrara from Shine lawyers said the Opal Aged Care failed to properly investigate Dean's past. "It's time the nursing home is held accountable for the suffering of so many," he said. "[This involves] the hiring of the nurse when any sort of basic reference checks would have identified that he shouldn't have been employed or been entrusted to the position that he was in around elderly people, but also in charge of opiates and certain medications. "Nobody could accept this happening to any member of their family, particularly not a defenceless parent." Mr Chrara also said the victim's families have battled enormous guilt over the fact they had put their relatives into aged care. "Obviously most of these victims feel they should kept their family members at home which wasn't practical. A firefighter dampens down a section of the nursing home after the fire. (ABC TV) Donna Austin's mother Alma Smith was killed in the tragedy. She says the nursing home should be held accountable. Alma Smith, 73, one of five victims who died in the Quakers Hill nursing home fire. (AAP: NSW Police) "These people had a duty of care to protect my mother. They are responsible for the grief we now carry, every day of our lives," she said. "Putting my mum into a nursing home was one of the toughest decisions of my life. It's now a decision I live to regret every single day. An inquest into the fire was held in March 2015 and found the owners of the nursing home, then called Domain Principal Group, did not make inquiries about Dean's past before employing him. The findings found that before being employed at the Quakers Hill nursing home, his previous employer removed Dean from night shift because of patient safety concerns. He had resigned from his job at St George Hospital and Community Services after an investigation was launched into the vandalism of an employee's car. Dean later admitted to causing damage. Opal Aged Care operates 69 homes across Australia. Quakers Hill Uniting Church celebrated their recent success in placing a solar system on their church’s roof Local State MP Kevin Conolly celebrated with members of the congregation and representatives of Presbytery and the Noah’s Ark Preschool who helped get the project realised Mr Conolly said that project was not just an addition to the building but instrumental in building partnerships in the local area Grant Atkins is the minister at Quakers Hill Uniting Church “We are excited at Quakers Hill Uniting Church to be able to not only save financially from our solar panels but also to take steps in caring for our environment,” Rev Atkins said.“Using the power of the sun is a way of being good stewards of God’s creation We stand proudly within the strong ethos of our Uniting Church in making steps to help our climate.” Vanessa Strickland is the Noah’s Ark Preschool Director She said that the children were excited to learn and explore the topic of solar panels saying that many of them came from family homes with panels on their roof.“It is a great way to teach the young about looking after our planet,” Ms Strickland said The project initially started with an email to a small group using the Quakers Hill Uniting Church complex about the NSW government Community Building Partnership Grant 2020 being open for submissions in April 2020 A small working party met regularly via Zoom and worked to get quotes approach relevant agencies for support letters and submit a proposal to Presbytery and Synod Quakers Hill Uniting Church gained $ 23,000 towards the solar panels with the Preschool and Church later adding another contribution of almost $10,000 was the result of a partnership between the local church Quakers Hill Uniting Church expects the panels to generate 30 kw per hour (or around 150kw per day) saving $11,055 per year off electricity costs removing 34 tons of CO2 per year—the equivalent of taking 1,045,498 car km off the road Over the system’s lifetime this will be the equivalent of planting 6,721 trees or avoiding 748 long haul flights Quakers Hill aims to get funding for a water tank for the church and to continue teaching the preschool children about the environment Quakers Hill Uniting Church are looking to share their experience with other congregations that are looking at similar projects. Any interested congregations can contact Merryn Anderson here with their questions The current round of NSW Community Building Partnerships is now open and closes on 14 May The approval process required by Presbytery and Synod can take two to three weeks to complete Visit the NSW Community Building Partnerships website here The ABC believes David Petersen was the man who was shot dead in a confrontation with police at Quakers Hill police station on Tuesday Link copiedShareShare articleThe nephew of the man who was shot dead by police during a confrontation in Sydney's west has payed tribute to his uncle New South Wales police have formally identified New-Zealand-born man David Petersen as the person who was shot dead at a police station in Sydney's north west on Tuesday Mr Petersen was holding a knife when he walked into Quakers Hill police station. He was shot once in the upper body by a sergeant of 24 years' experience during the confrontation that followed and died soon after. Police said yesterday a large knife was found at the scene and they had "no idea" of what Mr Petersen's motive was. Mr Petersen's nephew A.J. Martin Petersen has written a touching post about him on his Facebook page saying he keeps hoping that he would call him and say "it's all a sick joke". A.J. Martin Petersen wrote that his uncle had always put others before himself. "You were my idol growing up and the bloke I wanted to like," Mr Petersen wrote today. "You were always there to talk to and you never judged me. You were my second father, the one that always pulled me up if I was carrying on. "I wish I had one more chance to tell you how much I love you. "You were more than just my uncle, you were my best friend, my inspiration, my saviour and to thank you I'll watch over the girls till my last breath." Mr Petersen was a Quakers Hill resident and lived within walking distance of the police station. The ABC understands New Zealand-born David Petersen was shot dead by police at Quakers Hill police station. (Facebook) A police statement said a critical incident team from the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad was investigating the incident. "As part of the investigation, detectives are trying to piece together David's movements on Tuesday morning and would like to hear from anyone who saw him," the statement said. "They're also appealing for information from anyone who may have spoken to him in recent days." No police officers were injured in the incident. The police station stayed closed for more than 24 hours and only reopened this afternoon. Mr Petersen's neighbour Dusan Kuzmanovic said everyone was surprised by what happened. "He doesn't seem like a bad man in any way, it has got us all stumped at the moment, even the police can't work it out," Mr Kuzmanovic said. "His family is here, only last week — kids playing, everything as normal. "Just a man who goes to work, does his job, comes back. Just can't work out why — why would he? I'm speechless." Police will also be preparing a report for the coroner. In the meantime police had been at a home on Highfield Road in Quakers Hill, which is believed to be connected with the man who was killed. Another neighbour said there was no hint of trouble with the family there. "He leaves for work at five o'clock in the morning and comes back three in the afternoon — does his eight hours," he said. "It's just a shock — he didn't show any signs or anything — I just don't understand." The ABC understands the man was holding a knife when he walked into Quakers Hill police station yesterday. (AAP: Paul Miller) Roger Dean pleaded guilty to 11 counts of murder and eight counts of causing reckless bodily harm after the 2011 nursing home fire. (ABC News) Link copiedShareShare articleA woman who was allegedly stalked by a man who went on to start a deadly nursing home fire has given evidence at an inquest in Sydney. Tracy Sheehan said bolts were screwed into her tyres and paint was splashed on her car when she worked with Roger Dean in 2007. Dean, a former nurse, was sentenced to life in prison after starting a fire that killed 14 people at the Quakers Hill Nursing Home in Sydney's north-west in 2011. An inquest has heard he was an unsupervised registered nurse in charge of a night shift when he deliberately started the fire. Coroner Hugh Dillon is looking at how Dean had access to drugs, such as the strong painkiller Endone, and claims Dean's work references were not checked before he was employed by the Domain Principal Group, which ran the home. Ms Sheehan, who worked with Dean at the St George Hospital Mental Health Unit in 2007, said she documented a range of problems she had with him at work. She said she first became concerned about Dean's work after he entered statistics into a patient database before the patients had actually been seen. Ms Sheehan said Dean did not take the feedback very well and told her he felt she simply did not like him. "He said he felt bullied and was going to take it further," she told Glebe Coroners Court. Ms Sheehan said managers advised her to document her dealings with Dean and he began stalking her. On one occasion, he walked around with a microphone and notebook to record their conversations, she said. On another, she and a colleague were meeting in a cafe when they saw Dean wearing a hooded jumper and holding a notepad, watching them.  "There were little passive-aggressive incidents," she said. Ms Sheehan said her husband noticed something wrong with her car tyre after she drove home one day, and a mechanic confirmed a bolt had been manually forced into the tyre. A week later, another wheel on the car had the same type of bolt forced into it, and her car was vandalised with paint soon after. "The passenger side of the front was all damaged with white paint," Ms Sheehan said. "I did feel I wanted to go to the police ... but my senior manager suggested it wasn't in my best interests." Ms Sheehan said Dean eventually resigned and "went away". After he left, Ms Sheehan was not aware of any other potential employer phoning to check his references, she said. The inquest also heard from Robert Johnson, the former general manager of the Domain Principal Group, now known as Opal Aged Care. Mr Johnson was questioned about claims many residents' families found out about the early morning fire through media reports before they were called by nursing home officials. Some residents' family members walked out of the public gallery, visibly upset, after the inquest heard descriptions about how the belongings of residents were returned. Mr Johnson conceded that after belongings were "cleaned and bagged", some were left at a church hall to be collected. Some were also left on verandahs and under car ports, the inquest was told.  It heard some relatives received a cheque from the nursing home after the fire, but had no personal contact with anyone from management.   Mark Watson is the new Youth and Young Adults Worker at Quakers Hill Uniting Church Insights spoke to Mr Watson about his new role and where he sees God at work in young people and his congregation.  Mr Watson has held the role for the past five months “amazing opportunities to work with incredible young people.”   “I get to lead evangelistic and discipleship programs which is great,” he said.  “But what is even better is that I get to encourage and empower young adults (and some older youth) to lead in these programs as well.”  day-to-day activities include playing werewolves asking and answering questions about the Bible I had the privilege of preaching at church as well as coordinating a youth-led Easter service which was an awesome celebration of our risen Saviour,” Mr Watson said.  “I see team building and leadership development as a large part of my role I’ve been able to make some initial progress in those areas over the last five months.”   “I am passionate about seeing the church foster a welcoming I want to give young people the opportunity to hear about a loving God who cares deeply for every person and who desires to see everyone come into His presence.”  I feel that young adults haven’t always been a priority for the wider church in general so I am super encouraged that Quakers Hill Uniting Church (QHU) are committing energy and resources towards young adult ministry.”  “As a trained pastor with experience with youth and young adults I saw this role as a huge opportunity to use my gifts and skills to help these extraordinary young people grow in their love The Youth and Young Adults Worker role is funded and made possible by the Synod’s Growth Fund’s Strategic Grant “This role was made possible with some resourcing from Synod providing the means for the youth programs to continue to grow and flourish,” he said.  “It also creates an opportunity for investment into the lives of youth and young adults through new and exciting initiatives.”  Mr Watson said that there is a lot going on that he looks forward to “Every day I look forward to spending time with the current crew of legends,” he said.  “There is a wealth of wonderfully gifted young people whom I get to spend time with discussing life and faith and it is a blessing each time we get together.”  there are fantastic and passionate leaders involved in the youth and young adult ministry who are faithfully serving in this way I am working closely with the team to develop our current programs and there are some exciting new initiatives just around the corner also.”  “There’s a new youth and young adult hub being established in a church owned property which will be an epic space for the young people to gather.”  “Our current fortnightly-run programs are being developed so they can be running every week.”   to develop the two distinct night services that run every second month into a cohesive and regular night service serving the youth and young adults.”  “There are other opportunities I am exploring including evangelistic outreach opportunities and a large outdoor development.”    “God is at work at Quakers Hill Uniting Church The church community are inspired and driven by faith in Jesus and it shows through the passionate service and overall heart to love others as we have been first loved by God.”  and it is an absolute blessing to see God move in the hearts of the youth and young people.”  This role was made possible by the Strategic Grant available from the Synod Growth Investment Fund. There are three tiers of grants in the Synod Growth Investment Fund and the Strategic Grant appilcations have closed for 2024. For more information about the Synod Growth Investment Fund visit the website For more on Quakers Hill Uniting Church, visit their Facebook page here ABC News News HomeMan shot dead by police at Quakers Hill police station large knife found at sceneShare Man shot dead by police at Quakers Hill police station large knife found at sceneTopic:Police Police officers work outside the Quakers Hill Police Station in Sydney on January 19, 2016, after a man was shot dead by officers at the police station. (AAP: Paul Miller) Link copiedShareShare articleNew South Wales police have not yet released the identity of the man who was shot dead by an officer during a confrontation involving a knife at a Sydney police station. The ABC understands the man was holding a knife when he walked into Quakers Hill police station, in Sydney's west, about 10:40am on Tuesday. He was shot once in the upper body during the confrontation that followed and died soon after. Police confirmed the man is believed to be aged in his 40s, but have not released other details about his identity. "Local residents will be able to attend a mobile command bus, which is parked outside the station on Lalor Road, Quakers Hill, for non-urgent inquiries," a police statement said. A sergeant of 24 years' experience shot the man dead in the foyer of the police station. (AAP: Paul Miller) Assistant Commissioner Clifford said a critical incident investigation had been launched following the incident. "There was a confrontation in the foyer of the station with a sergeant of 24 years' experience," he said. "There was a shot fired by the sergeant that struck the man. "I can say that a large knife has been located at the scene and obviously that will be part of the investigation and the crime scene unit are on the scene now to try and piece together what occurred." Assistant Commissioner Clifford said police had "no idea" what the man's motive was going in to the police station. "There is no indication that this is terrorist-related but why the man came there and why the confrontation occurred, at this stage we just don't know," he said. Police have confirmed a man has been shot dead after a confrontation with officers at Quakers Hill Police Station. (ABC News: Stephanie Dalzell) "The officer who fired the shot is very distressed as you can understand," Assistant Commissioner Clifford said. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Bus routes 752 and T72 were diverted away from Pearce Road and Lalor Roads, close to the scene of the incident. Nearby resident Fiona Deregt said she and her sons had stayed locked in their house due to safety considerations since they heard about the shooting. "All the helicopters started circling and we were shocked and came out to see what was heard, and were told to go back inside and stay inside," Ms Deregt said. "It's scary, I was really scared. "I only just found out that it didn't end very well, so it was scary knowing that but at the end of the day they're doing their job as well so you know you're safe, so that's not a bad thing." Two childcare centres across the road from the police station were placed into lockdown in response to the shooting. (ABC News) Blacktown Council said in a statement two childcare centres had been placed into lockdown in response to the incident. The Kerry Jones Childcare Centre and the Quakers Hill Pre School are across Lalor Road from Quakers Hill Police Station. Acting Mayor of Blacktown Jacqueline Donaldson said both centres immediately implemented standard and well-rehearsed lockdown procedures. "All children and staff are safe - the incident occurred across the street and is entirely unrelated to either childcare centres," Cr Donaldson said. "I commend the staff at both centres for their professionalism and preparedness. "You certainly don't want parents arriving outside the childcare centre if bullets are flying around and of course we didn't know what the situation was. "So keeping parents away, keeping the children safe is our highest priority and our staff did that magnificently." Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time A teenage boy and a man in his 20s have died and a third man has been injured in unrelated stabbing incidents as a wave of knife crime continues across NSW a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the neck at a home on Nymagee Street in Narromine west of Dubbo in the NSW Western Plains region A 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the neck at a home on Nymagee Street in Narromine.Credit: TNV He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to Dubbo Regional Airport where he died A 26-year-old man was arrested at a home nearby and on Saturday night was charged with murder. He will appear in Dubbo Local Court on Sunday. Narromine has a population of just 6360, the last census shows In a separate incident earlier on Friday evening a man died after being stabbed at Quakers Hill in Sydney’s north-west Police alleged the 28-year-old was stabbed while visiting a home on Narcissus Avenue just before 8:30pm “We believe that the man went to the address willingly and something has occurred inside the premises,” Detective Superintendent Scott Bingham told reporters on Saturday Officers attached Riverstone Police Area Command found the man who was from the northern suburbs of Sydney collapsed on a neighbour’s porch with a stab wound to the chest He was treated at the scene by paramedics but died en route to hospital Bingham said police had not yet identified the attacker but were confident there was no danger to the community that this is not a random attack … this man has known the people in the house “We have a number of detectives and other personnel searching the address and searching the nearby streets.” Bingham said the homicide unit and local detectives were looking to speak to a number of people connected with the deceased man and the address in Quakers Hill “We are currently combing through that CCTV to see what that turns up,” he said a man was allegedly assaulted at Broken Hill in the state’s far west Police were called to O’Farrell Street at about 1pm on Friday where they found a man He was treated by paramedics and taken to Broken Hill Base Hospital before being transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a serious condition Later that evening police executed a search warrant on Bowen Street and arrested a 29-year-old man He was refused bail and will face Dubbo Local Court on Saturday charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm The latest wave of knife crime comes only a fortnight after Joel Cauchi’s deadly stabbing rampage at Sydney’s Bondi Westfield and a teenager’s alleged stabbing of Christian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel “No one should be carrying a knife in public there are substantial penalties,” Bingham said Police are urging anyone with CCTV footage dashcam vision or information about Friday’s stabbings to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. A teenage boy and a man in his 20s have died and a third man has been injured in unrelated stabbing incidents as a wave of knife crime continues across NSW. About 9pm on Friday, a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the neck at a home on Nymagee Street in Narromine, west of Dubbo in the NSW Western Plains region. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to Dubbo Regional Airport where he died. A 26-year-old man was arrested at a home nearby and on Saturday night was charged with murder. He will appear in Dubbo Local Court on Sunday. Narromine has a population of just 6360, . In a separate incident earlier on Friday evening, a man died after being stabbed at Quakers Hill in Sydney\\u2019s north-west. Police alleged the 28-year-old was stabbed while visiting a home on Narcissus Avenue just before 8:30pm. \\u201CWe believe that the man went to the address willingly and something has occurred inside the premises,\\u201D Detective Superintendent Scott Bingham told reporters on Saturday. Officers attached Riverstone Police Area Command found the man, who was from the northern suburbs of Sydney, collapsed on a neighbour\\u2019s porch with a stab wound to the chest. He was treated at the scene by paramedics but died en route to hospital. Bingham said police had not yet identified the attacker but were confident there was no danger to the community. \\u201CWe know at this stage, that this is not a random attack \\u2026 this man has known the people in the house. \\u201CWe have a number of detectives and other personnel searching the address and searching the nearby streets.\\u201D Bingham said the homicide unit and local detectives were looking to speak to a number of people connected with the deceased man and the address in Quakers Hill. \\u201CWe are currently combing through that CCTV to see what that turns up,\\u201D he said. In the third stabbing within 24 hours, a man was allegedly assaulted at Broken Hill in the state\\u2019s far west. Police were called to O\\u2019Farrell Street at about 1pm on Friday where they found a man, 37, with a stab wound. He was treated by paramedics and taken to Broken Hill Base Hospital, before being transferred to Royal Adelaide Hospital in a serious condition. Later that evening police executed a search warrant on Bowen Street and arrested a 29-year-old man. He was refused bail and will face Dubbo Local Court on Saturday charged with wounding a person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. The latest wave of knife crime comes only a fortnight after Joel Cauchi\\u2019s deadly stabbing rampage at Sydney\\u2019s Bondi Westfield and a teenager\\u2019s alleged stabbing of Christian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel. \\u201CNo one should be carrying a knife in public, there is no need to carry a knife. And if you\\u2019re caught with a knife, there are substantial penalties,\\u201D Bingham said. Police are urging anyone with CCTV footage, dashcam vision or information about Friday\\u2019s stabbings to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. . TOP principal Josh Tesolin has expanded his Ray White Quakers Hill business with the purchase of a significant rental roll and lease of another office premise.  Two years on from opening his first business Mr Tesolin has created one of the group’s top New South Wales offices He has grown his office from just three to 25 staff members (pictured above) Mr Tesolin feels now is the time to move into property management purchasing more than 800 new rental managements and bringing on seven property managers.  he has also expanded the office’s footprint by leasing the office next door “I credit this amazing growth to great teamwork and the relentless worth ethic of everyone in my business We are working for our clients seven days a week,” Mr Tesolin said “Expanding the office and moving into property management which is where I began my career nine years ago “I have developed and grown a dynamic sales team from just myself to now five selling agents but I want us to be able to offer a fully rounded real estate service if you over-service clients then they will stay with you and help drive new business.” collectively the team has sold 960 properties but Mr Tesolin’s focus is on growing their rent roll to 1,000 managements recruiting top performers and continuing to expand.  Mr Tesolin has already amassed a trophy cabinet full of awards In his first full year in business ownership Mr Tesolin won the coveted Ray White award for Top Principal for number of sales in NSW/ACT and also No 1 International principal for number of sales Source: Ray White Group staffTopic:Courts Amanda Tucker carries a photo of her late mother Dorothy Sterling after Roger Dean was sentenced to life for 11 murders Dean started a fire at a Quakers Hill nursing home in 2011 Link copiedShareShare articleThe former nurse convicted of murdering 11 nursing home residents in a fire at Quakers Hill has been jailed for life without parole pleaded guilty to 11 counts of murder and eight of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm after setting fire to the nursing home in Sydney in 2011 Judge Megan Latham of the New South Wales Supreme Court said Dean's crimes were in the worst category but said he had shown some remorse to friends and psychiatrists "The pain and terror suffered by all of the victims must have been horrific," she said "A worse fate is difficult to imagine." More than 100 relatives of victims packed the public gallery some with photos of their loved ones pinned to their jackets The relatives of the victims cried and applauded but Dean said nothing and did not look at the families before he was led away From the fire to Dean's sentencing, look back at the key events in the tragedy. "Our memories aren't of a sweet lady who passed way of natural causes - we had to give DNA to know that that was our grandmother." whose mother Neeltje died in hospital from her injuries has thanked prosecutors for securing a sentence with no parole "It's been nearly two years holding our breath and now all this is over never to be released - life - [it's] wonderful," she said as my mother suffered in the last four days of her life." whose 96-year-old mother Doris died in the fire was part of the large crowd in court when the sentence was read out "You might have heard me say 'you beauty' because that's exactly how I felt," he said "We've been waiting all this time for this to happen and it has." One woman fainted during the sentencing and had to be carried out of the courtroom Judge Latham said Dean had a reckless indifference to human life and conducted himself in a self-serving manner were in a high dependency ward and vulnerable The judge said Dean's moral culpability was not in any way diminished by his self-obsessed personality disorder There were several murmurs through the public gallery including one following Judge Latham's comment that she did not believe Dean was on heavy drugs when he committed the murders Judge Latham said she would not accept that as any sort of excuse One victim used to dance down the corridors of the nursing home, while another had beaten breast cancer twice. Here, relatives of the 11 murder victims share their heartbreak and remember the lives of their loved ones. The court had previously heard Dean created a "living hell" for the families of the victims, with one relative noting the terror in his father's eyes before he died. Another relative spoke of how his mother had soot pumped from her lungs. Other family members spoke of the guilt they feel at having put their loved ones in the home. Dean used a cigarette lighter to start fires in two beds then watched them take hold. There were 88 residents in the home. Some died in the fire and others from their injuries. Police say Dean set the fire to cover up his theft of a large amount of painkillers. In video footage of his police interview, Dean said he loved the residents but he had been "corrupted with evil thoughts", saying Satan was talking to him. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Fourteen people were killed in the Quakers Hill nursing home fire in 2011. (AAP: Warren Clarke) Link copiedShareShare articleAn inquest into 14 deaths in a Sydney nursing home fire has heard references for the nurse who deliberately started it were not checked before he was employed.  Counsel assisting Kristina Stern told Glebe Coroner's Court former nurse Roger Dean provided a CV and passed a police check before he was employed by the Quakers Hill nursing home. But she said his work references were not checked and he did not undergo a mental health assessment. The inquest was told Dean poured paint over a previous employer's car and put nails in the tyres and had turned up at another workplace under the influence of drugs with slurred speech and froth around his mouth.  He is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to charges that include 11 counts of murder and eight counts of causing reckless bodily harm. The inquest heard he was an unsupervised registered nurse in charge of a night shift when he deliberately set the home on fire in 2011 It heard Dean had access to drugs such as strong painkiller Endone and spent a lot of time in a treatment room alone at the home with the door closed. Ms Stern said as well as questions about Dean's employment history and what screening was carried out before his recruitment, there were a number of other issues that had arisen during investigations into the fire. She said there were questions about whether the home had properly dealt with suspicions that Dean had stolen drugs from the premises. Ms Stern said there were issues about how the fire had spread and the home's fire safety design features. There were also questions over whether staff were properly trained in evacuations and monitoring. She noted that while while firefighters were very brave working in a situation of "horror and emergency" there was a need to look at what officers could learn from the fire. In his opening remarks, the coroner praised the efforts of emergency crews who tried to rescue people from the fire. He said it was a "rare and devastating experience" for the families of the victims. "The community is behind you," he told the public gallery, which was packed with the families of those who died.  "Our concerns are your concerns." Nurse Roger Dean, who worked at a Quakers Hill nursing home, talks to media in November 2011. (ABC TV) Mr Dillon said the inquest was not investigating the criminality of Dean but trying to determine what lessons could be learned from the fire. The coroner also praised police who had investigated the case. "They have worked exceptionally hard," he said. "It's one of the best briefs I've ever seen." Ms Stern said the inquest was into the cause and manner of the 14 deaths and the fire itself. She said 11 deaths were subject to murder charges but the other three deaths were not. The inquest heard some patients were blind, some confined to their beds and some had dementia and Alzheimer's disease. One woman was confined to a wheelchair and had a leg amputated. Ms Stern said a ramp at the home made it difficult for staff to manoeuvre beds when they were trying to evacuate more than 80 residents. The inquest also heard problems related to the ramp may not have been properly addressed during fire safety training for staff. The home also did not have planning permission for the ramp, the inquest was told. The inquest is sitting for five days before reconvening at the end of the year. A Sydney nurse who murdered 11 elderly residents of a western Sydney nursing home by setting fire to the facility as they slept will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in jail after losing his appeal in the state's highest court In a forthright judgment that was welcomed by the victims' relatives the Court of Criminal Appeal on Friday unanimously dismissed Dean's appeal against the 11 life sentences he was given over the tragedy in 2011 the abuse by Mr Dean of the position of trust that he occupied and his deliberate actions in not taking steps to alert fire brigade officers .. it cannot be said that the life sentences imposed on him were unreasonable or plainly unjust," Justice Julie Ward said Dean lit at least two fires in different sections of the western Sydney nursing home in a bid to hide his theft of painkillers from the facility Nurse Roger Dean speaks to the media after the fire at the Quakers Hill Nursing Home that killed 11 residents.Credit: Seven News As firefighters tried desperately to locate one of the blazes the nurse went back into the home to retrieve the drug register books that revealed his crime on what was to have been the first day of his murder trial and was subsequently given 11 life sentences by Supreme Court Justice Megan Latham But the 39-year-old subsequently argued in the Court of Criminal Appeal that Justice Latham was wrong in finding that no sentence other than life in prison would adequately reflect his moral culpability and that imposing such sentences was "manifestly excessive" was Dean's state of mind at the time he lit the fires and the degree to which he could have foreseen what would happen as a result The aftermath of the Quakers Hill Nursing Home fire in November 2011 Mr Game said the judge had erred in finding that it was "more probable than not" that lighting the fire in the nursing home would result in really serious injury or death He said Justice Latham should have found that there was no more than "a real chance" that this might happen and so reducing Dean's moral culpability Paul Cachia outside court at the Roger Dean's appeal in September.Credit: Ben Rushton "I'm being finickity about language but it's essential in this context," Mr Game said He also argued that Justice Latham had failed properly to consider the evidence of forensic psychiatrist Dr Michael Diamond who found that Dean's long-term drug addiction and personality disorders had affected his decision making he argued that the structure of the judge's legal reasoning had been flawed because it involved separating the question of Dean's moral culpability from consideration of the "objective seriousness" of the crime But the judges rejected each of the appeal grounds finding that Justice Latham had not erred "in assessing Dean's level of moral culpability by reference to his having foreseen that there was a real chance of a number of deaths when he lit the fires" They also found that there had been "no error" in the way Justice Latham treated the evidence regarding Dean's mental condition the son of fire victim Emmanuela Cachia said the decision was a relief "It was dismissed but it doesn't bring our loved ones back," Paul Cachia told Fairfax Media "This should never ever have gone this far The only thing he's done here is to waste taxpayers' money." "Those three judges are up there because they're pretty brainy They came up with the right decision." Clare Blanch from the Homicide Victims' Support Group said the other members of the victims' families had also expressed relief but at least now the relatives won't have to go through the trauma of a parole hearing," Ms Blanch said A Sydney nurse who murdered 11 elderly residents of a western Sydney nursing home by setting fire to the facility as they slept will almost certainly spend the rest of his life in jail after losing his appeal in the state's highest court In a forthright judgment that was welcomed by the victims' relatives the Court of Criminal Appeal on Friday unanimously dismissed Dean's appeal against the 11 life sentences he was given over the tragedy in 2011 it cannot be said that the life sentences imposed on him were unreasonable or plainly unjust,\\\" Justice Julie Ward said and that imposing such sentences was \\\"manifestly excessive\\\" was Dean's state of mind at the time he lit the fires and the degree to which he could have foreseen what would happen as a result Mr Game said the judge had erred in finding that it was \\\"more probable than not\\\" that lighting the fire in the nursing home would result in really serious injury or death He said Justice Latham should have found that there was no more than \\\"a real chance\\\" that this might happen \\\"I'm being finickity about language but it's essential in this context,\\\" Mr Game said who found that Dean's long-term drug addiction and personality disorders had affected his decision making he argued that the structure of the judge's legal reasoning had been flawed because it involved separating the question of Dean's moral culpability from consideration of the \\\"objective seriousness\\\" of the crime finding that Justice Latham had not erred \\\"in assessing Dean's level of moral culpability by reference to his having foreseen that there was a real chance of a number of deaths when he lit the fires\\\" They also found that there had been \\\"no error\\\" in the way Justice Latham treated the evidence regarding Dean's mental condition \\\"It was dismissed but it doesn't bring our loved ones back,\\\" Paul Cachia told Fairfax Media \\\"This should never ever have gone this far The only thing he's done here is to waste taxpayers' money.\\\" \\\"Those three judges are up there because they're pretty brainy Clare Blanch from the Homicide Victims' Support Group said the other members of the victims' families had also expressed relief but at least now the relatives won't have to go through the trauma of a parole hearing,\\\" Ms Blanch said and too scared to confide in her deeply religious family a Sydney woman dropped her day-old baby into a drain on her way home from the hospital "I just saw the drain on the side of the road and then I just put baby in there," the woman later told police of what happened on the afternoon of November 18 While the woman twice returned to the drain near the M7 motorway in Quakers Hill in the following days she could not hear any noises and concluded that the baby she had once been "somewhat excited" to have had died But about five days after the baby had been abandoned passers-by heard unusual noises coming from the 2.5 metre drain and worked with police to remove the concrete slab covering it The drain where the baby was found at Quakers Hill.Credit: James Alcock His mother was sentenced to a non-parole period of one year and nine months – with a maximum sentence of three years and six months – on Thursday in the Parramatta District Court As the 32-year-old has been in custody since her arrest in November 2014 she will be eligible for release next month Judge Andrew Colefax found the woman was significantly intellectually and emotionally impaired and had been "totally overwhelmed by the situation in which she found herself" The woman had kept her relationship with the child's father secret from her family and shortly after he learnt she was pregnant he sent her a text message saying he had a new girlfriend She became "withdrawn and depressed" and despite her swelling bump denied she was pregnant to her family The newborn baby found in a drain at Quakers Hill in November 2014 she asked her doctor if she could have a termination but was told her pregnancy had progressed too far The court heard that the woman had lived a "sheltered life" had the concrete reasoning of a primary school student and although she considered handing the baby over after giving birth at Blacktown Hospital "lacked the executive functioning skills to actually put a plan into action" "Without being critical of anybody some warning bells might have rang in the Blacktown Hospital," Judge Colefax said One hospital worker noted that "there is something not quite right" with the mother and baby although the woman was also observed to be interacting with the baby in a normal way including holding the woman caught the train from Blacktown Station to Quakers Hill Station and sat in a park near her home with the baby before she saw the drain near a bike path and put him in it She later told police she had first wrapped her son's feet in a plastic bag from the hospital "because she was putting his feet down first" with her current partner and aunt in the court to support her She had initially been charged with attempted murder but these charges were dropped and she pleaded guilty to abandoning a child under seven causing it to be in danger of death and recklessly cause grievous bodily harm Judge Colefax found the woman had no previous criminal history and her intellectual deficit reduced her moral culpability She also received a sentence discount for pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity "I think the perfect storm of factors which led to this shocking crime were both largely out of the control of the offender and are extremely unlikely to be repeated," Judge Colefax said The court heard that a foster carer for the baby indicated he had met all "milestones" expected of his age He will be continued to be regularly monitored \\\"I just saw the drain on the side of the road and then I just put baby in there,\\\" the woman she could not hear any noises and concluded that the baby she had once been \\\"somewhat excited\\\" to have had died His mother was sentenced to a non-parole period of one year and nine months \\u2013 with a maximum sentence of three years and six months \\u2013 on Thursday in the Parramatta District Court Judge Andrew Colefax found the woman was significantly intellectually and emotionally impaired and had been \\\"totally overwhelmed by the situation in which she found herself\\\" The woman had kept her relationship with the child's father secret from her family She became \\\"withdrawn and depressed\\\" The court heard that the woman had lived a \\\"sheltered life\\\" and although she considered handing the baby over after giving birth at Blacktown Hospital \\\"lacked the executive functioning skills to actually put a plan into action\\\" \\\"Without being critical of anybody some warning bells might have rang in the Blacktown Hospital,\\\" Judge Colefax said One hospital worker noted that \\\"there is something not quite right\\\" with the mother and baby She later told police she had first wrapped her son's feet in a plastic bag from the hospital \\\"because she was putting his feet down first\\\" \\\"I think the perfect storm of factors which led to this shocking crime were both largely out of the control of the offender and are extremely unlikely to be repeated,\\\" Judge Colefax said indicated he had met all \\\"milestones\\\" expected of his age He will be continued to be regularly monitored.