Raging fire threatens Port Lincoln

A molotov cocktail thrown at a Parafield Gardens house, Port Lincoln fires under control and an off duty police officer glassed at Payneham

The large fire near Port Lincoln burning in dense scrub is burning out of control, according to the latest CFS update.

8:16PM

The CFS has released its latest update on the fire, saying it's still burning out of control. But winds should drop slightly overnight.

The Coomunga fire is travelling in a northerly direction towards the Flinders Highway and Coomunga.

The CFS said the fire is not controlled and is burning in scrub and conditions are continually changing.

A molotov cocktail thrown at a Parafield Gardens house, Port Lincoln fires under control and an off duty police officer glassed at Payneham

Tonight's forecast for Port Lincoln is for south to southeasterly winds at 30 to 40 km/h, but easing to 20 to 30 km/h in the evening.

Tomorrow should be a maximum of 23 and sunny with east to southeasterly winds of 15 to 25 km/h.

5:45PM:

A CFS map at 5:30pm on Tuesday, November 20, showing the area which the fire burnt, with Port Lincoln to the bottom right.

The latest CFS advice says the bushfire at Mungerowie Scrub, west of Port Lincoln on the Lower Eyre Peninsula near the rifle range on Winch Rd may threaten safety.

The CFS says the uncontrolled Coomunga fire is travelling in a northerly direction towards Flinders Hwy and Coomunga and is burning in scrub.

4:20PM:

The fire has been brought back under control and the threat to homes and property has reduced.

Up close to the Port Lincoln bushfire. Picture: Supplied

3:50PM:

The Country Fire Service has warned the fire at Mungerowie Scrub near the rifle range on Winch Road may threaten safety.

The fire is travelling in a northwest direction and is burning in scrub.

"Put your bushfire survival plan into action," says the message.

The fire as seen from St Mary of the Angels Church, taken by Port Lincoln resident Craig Hughes.

"If your plan is to leave or you are not prepared, leave now."

3:20PM:

The CFS has issued a new warning about the fire, saying it expects a change in wind direction and fuel load to cause the fire to flare and accelerate near the rifle range on Winch Rd in a northeast direction towards Coomunga and the Flinders Highway.

Ominous dark smoke plume above Winter Hill, outside Port Lincoln SA. Shot by: Kiwi White.

It has advised people in the area to leave now if they have not activated their bushfire plans or are not prepared.

Earlier, Acting Emergency Services Minister Ian Hunter said the fire came within 6km of Port Lincoln yesterday but no injuries had been reported.

"There are no reports of homes being lost," he said.

"It will take a couple of days to make sure this is under control but we also have to be careful of the weather on the weekend, which I think Saturday is looking like a bad, high-temperature day, and Tuesday could also be problematic for us."

An aerial photo of the bushfire near Port Lincoln. Picture: Tait Schmaal aboard the Channel 7 News helicopter

He said 1700ha of land has been burnt, and 370 CFS volunteers, 40 appliances, four bulk water carriers, three bulldozers and five fire bombing aircrafts were deployed.

The fire was also the first time the CFS's new mobile phone warning system, that sends alerts to mobiles based on their location, had been used.

The CFS will continue to monitor the fire over the next five to seven days and has warned that residents may see flame and smoke continue to rise from the area.

UPDATE 2pm: A flare-up in the north-east corner of the Port Lincoln bushfire has shrouded the area with black smoke.

Plumes of black smoke from the Port Lincoln bushfire. Picture: Ivon Perrin

A third fixed-wing water bomber has been called to help deal with the flare-up.

Country Fire Service spokeswoman Connie Hassouros said the fire was still burning within control lines and remained static.

Ms Hassouros said residents still needed to be vigilant but there were no new concerns.

Elsewhere, a grass fire burning in Waltowa, to the south-east of Lake Alexandrina, is causing a large amount of smoke and may affect traffic, the CFS has warned.

The Port Lincoln fire, as seen from 35,000 feet - onboard flight QF587. Sent in via NewsForce from Jay

The fire, burning in grass 10km to the north of Meningie, poses no risk to the community but smoke is causing visibility problems on the Princes Highway.

Drivers in the area are advised to take care and be mindful of any traffic restrictions that may be in place.

Meanwhile, investigators have arrived in Port Lincoln to try to determine how the bushfire that threatened the coastal town started.

The blaze, which has burned about 1700ha of heavy scrub, was brought under control by more than 200 firefighters who worked around the clock.

The fire near Port Lincoln. Picture: Vittorio Dal Grande via NewsForce

Fire investigators have arrived in Port Lincoln today to determine what started the blaze.

Country Fire Service Eyre Peninsula and West Coast region commander Kevin May said hotspots would need to be monitored until the first winter rains in April and May as inaccessible patches continued to burn.

Mr May said drier than average conditions, after three years of good winter growth, meant vegetation was ready to burn, comparing the conditions to those usually expected later in the bushfire season.

"It's not a good start (to the season)," he said.

"I think the unfortunate thing is it always seems to pick on Port Lincoln, which brings back those memories from the past and that's a real challenge for us.

"The weather last night was helpful but it could have been a lot more helpful if the wind speed was down."

He said that without the cool change, there could have been a repeat of the December 23 Port Lincoln bushfire that destroyed 13 homes and 11 sheds.

Mr May said no one was required to evacuate their home and no evacuation notices were issued.

He said the CFS was already planning for hot conditions this weekend as temperatures are forecast to reach the mid 30s.

"Those who have done the right thing have been able to turn around and walk away from these (bushfires) feeling confident and knowing the effort they have put in has been worthwhile.

"Others who talk about it and don't put the effort in are in the same boat as they were a couple of years ago.

"More people are doing the right thing ... but there is a lot more that could be done." 

Country Fire Service manager of operations Malim Watts said several hundred fire fighters were still deployed across the state, with the majority at Port Lincoln.

Other blazes include a large hay stack fire burning at Pine Hill, near Bordertown, which is visible from the Dukes Hwy,  and fires at Humbug Scrub and One Tree Hill.

They were among 300 fires which started late yesterday as thunderstorms rolled across the state, with 31,000 lightning strikes recorded by the Bureau of Meteorology.

The CFS had feared the worst  yesterday, as winds fanned flames from the Port Lincoln blaze. Last night, Ms Hassouros said it had been too dangerous for firefighters to get near the front of the fire to determine just how big it was.

The blaze, which started about 14km west of the city, had burnt 1200 hectares by 9pm last night. It was first reported at 10.50am.

Thick smoke billowing from the fire in Mungerowie Scrub had also prevented precise aerial surveillance of the fire front.

Ms  Hassouros said last night that CFS fears that the wind would change direction had been realised about 6pm, and the winds had started to swing to a south-west direction, pushing the fire towards Port Lincoln.

CFS Deputy Chief Officer Andrew Lawson said at the time there was a real threat to the city.

"There are quite a number of houses on the north-west of Port Lincoln on the outskirts," he said.

"We're working feverishly over there to control this fire before it gets to those outskirts.

"A number of people have evacuated. We're not aware of any homes that are under direct threat at the moment but there are a lot of houses in the outskirts of Pt Lincoln that may come under threat."

Mr Lawson said the cause of the fire had not been determined but it may have been a lightning strike. 

Fearing the worst earlier in the day, many people had packed their most valuable possessions, hitched their boats to the four-wheel drives and headed for the foreshore.

Port Lincoln resident Harry Pieterman said he had evacuated his home about 2pm and would be spending the night in his caravan.

Mr Pieterman said his daughter, who lives at North Shields, had also fled to spend the night in the city.

"I could sense a bit of panic about lunchtime," he said. "I could see a lot of cars going around everywhere."

Port Lincoln real estate agent Steve Kemp said ash was raining from the sky.

"There's ash all over our office and the cars the whole street is covered in ash," he said. "Hopefully the weather does the right thing and the weather does change."

Port Lincoln resident Kiwi White, 68, was packed and ready to evacuate. He feared that some residents were complacent.

"I've rung a few people asking if they are getting out and they don't have the right attitude," he said.

"They're like no, we'll be all right. They should be thinking more seriously about it.

"It's been a wet winter there's a lot of dry grass and dry trees and most people have a lot of bushes.

"When it comes in with a vengeance like it did today it can continue right through the town."

Mr White said having a plan in place and being ready to evacuate was essential when dealing with a blaze the size of the Coomunga fire. 

"I'm packed up and ready to go," he said. "I've seen how powerful bushfires can be. It's important to be ready to act."

There were reports of evacuations at Port Lincoln prison but a spokeswoman from the prison said that had not been the case

Corrections SA had been monitoring the fire's path to decide if prisoners would be moved.

"We're doing our business continuity preparation in case of any need to do so but we're in liaison with police and CFS at a local level," a spokesman for Corrections SA said yesterday.

CFS State Co-ordinator Brenton Eden praised the efforts of firefighters who tackled the blaze near Port Lincoln.

Five fixed-wing water bombing aircraft also fought the fire.

A series of lightning strikes during the afternoon also caused between 90 to 100 fires across the state, to which more than 200 that CFS volunteers responded.

In the three hours from 3.30pm, more than 100 fires ignited across the Lower North, Murraylands and South East, as a storm swept eastwards across SA.

Areas hit included Robe, Keith, Lameroo, Tailem Bend, Langhorne Creek and Lower Light.

Fires were also reported in the Adelaide Hills at Kersbrook, Strathalbyn and Basket Range.

The Coomunga fire comes in the wake of fires on the Eyre Peninsula that destroyed some 1800 hectares of thick scrubland on Monday just last week.

The CFS yesterday revealed those fires were caused by lightning.

Last week's fires destroyed a home, 14 cabins, a caravan, a campervan, several sheds and four cars.

Lower Eyre Peninsula District Council mayor Julie Low said residents would be fearful after major fires in the past 11 years.

"I know people who are still recovering from the 2005 (Wangary) fire," she said.

- with Sam Kelton, Steve Rice and David Nankervis

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Turnbull: I won't challenge Abbott

Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, the man he ousted as Liberal Party leader, have increased their co-operation in recent months. Source: The Advertiser

MALCOLM Turnbull has sheathed his leadership sword and become a solid member of the Liberal team working towards the election of an Abbott Coalition government next year.

The former Liberal leader is making it clear there will be no challenge for the leadership before the next election and that his aim is to be a senior, influential member of the Coalition cabinet should Tony Abbott win government, The Australian reports.

After months of co-operation between the former opposition leader and the man who replaced him after the party division over the carbon emissions trading scheme in 2009, a new stability and certainty is emerging within the senior Coalition ranks.

As Labor uses Mr Turnbull's standing with votyers to try to drive a wedge into the Liberals, Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull have been in "close and regular personal contact" co-ordinating how to handle the prickly political issues of Mr Abbott's defeat of Mr Turnbull as Liberal leader, Mr Turnbull's continuing popular appeal, policy differences over carbon pricing and Julia Gillard's campaign against Mr Abbott.

Read more on the leadership issue at The Australian

The increased contact comes as Mr Turnbull revealed on ABC's QandA program that "thousands and thousands of people" have urged him to set up his own political party.

But but he is sticking with the Liberals - and Mr Abbott - where he expects to be an "influential" member of an Abbott Government.

Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull react to a question from the Q&A audience suggesting they should start a new political party.

"I will be part of his team, influential, at the cabinet table," he said.

"Look, I'm not going to give you any BS. I've had thousands and thousands of people propose that, you know, I should set up a new political party and I've always said to them the same thing that I'm saying to you, that I'm committed to the Liberal Party."

Read more at The Australian

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Man jailed for 'dreadful' murder

Peter Rule was killed to protect the location of a cannabis crop. Source: Herald Sun

A COLD-blooded killer who shot a man, hacked his body with a chainsaw and dissolved the pieces in acid to protect his cannabis-growing business will spend the next 16½ years in jail.

Justice Lex Lasry told Leonard Borg, 28, the brutal degradation of Peter Rule's body to protect his criminal enterprise was "dreadful".

"The murder of Peter Rule was a planned, calculated killing and was particularly callous," Justice Lasry said.

The Victorian Supreme Court heard Borg feared Mr Rule, 56, would dob him in to police over a hydroponic cannabis crop and decided he had to kill him to protect his investment.

Borg lured Mr Rule, whom he had known for years, to a Campbellfield factory and shot him with a .22 semi-automatic rifle on November 15, 2009.

The body was taken to a Thomastown factory, where Borg and Michael Spiropoulos grew a cannabis crop.

The next day Borg burned the body in a 44-gallon drum. The remains were cut up, crushed and placed in a tub of hydrochloric acid.

The three-day process ended with Borg and Spiropoulos, driven by fear to help his business partner, disposed of the remains on the Great Ocean Rd.

Justice Lasry said Borg wrongly believed Mr Rule had previously tipped off police about one of his marijuana cops.

He said police were in fact alerted to the illegal enterprise by a Crime Stoppers tip from an anonymous female.

Spiropoulos eventually confessed to police that he assisted Borg dispose of the body and cultivated narcotic plants.

He was sentenced to a three-year suspended sentence and two-year community-based order on the basis that he would give evidence against Borg.

Borg, of Mickleham, pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Rule, of Meadow Heights, but a jury found otherwise in April.

Outside court, Mr Rule's brother Mark said the sentence could "never be enough".

"We've lost a brother over something so stupid," he said.

"The world's got some evil people, but it's only a minority fortunately, so hopefully we can walk along the street safely with another one put away."

His sister, Stella McNaughton, said her 14-year-old nephew was hit the hardest by the loss.

The teenager expressed his devastation at losing his father – with whom he was "the best of friends"- through a victim impact statement at a pre-sentence hearing.

"When I found out the news about my father and what had happened, all I could do was cry and cry because I missed him so much and I wish and wish that none of this had ever happened," the statement said.

"For a while I didn't know what to do with myself because I wanted to be with him so very much.

"I was extremely shocked that Leonard Borg would have the heart to do something like that after my father was so kind and open-hearted, not just to him but to everyone else as well."

Justice Lasry said the community would not tolerate gross violence to protect financial benefit from criminal activities.

"You are still a young man but your conduct has had the effect of ruining what should be the prime of your life," he told Borg, who remained expressionless but appeared to be listening intently throughout the sentence.

Borg was convicted of murder, handling stolen goods and cultivating a narcotic plant.

He was sentenced to a total effective sentence of 23 years and 9 months, with a non-parole period of 19 years and has already served 943 days in pre-sentence detention.

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Seal hit with capsicum spray broke ethics

Department of Primary Industries staff in Tasmania spray capsicum spray into the eyes of a fur seal, breeching ethics codes. Source: The Mercury

• Researchers in Tasmania condemned for testing spray on seals
• Seal so distressed it jumped out of holding pen
• Department investigating incident

ANIMAL researchers who sprayed caged fur seals in the eyes with a super strength capsicum spray breached the code of practice for animal testing.

Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment animal ethics committee chairwoman Marion March thought the breach so serious she brought it to the attention of the department secretary.

The Mercury first revealed on August 25 that capsicum spray would be tested to determine if it would deter seals from getting into salmon pens.

The Mercury requested images and video of the 2008 trials under the Right to Information Act but was forced to appeal to the Ombudsman after a lengthy delay.

Five photos were released, but the department said it could not find the video footage it took of the trials.

The images show the moments before a distressed seal did something never seen before by researchers - it jumped out of a holding pen.

"Once in the holding pen the seal was visibly stressed, jumping at the netting around the pen and trying to find a way out," the researcher's report to the ethics committee said.

"Approximately four minutes after seal two was initially sprayed it managed to jump out of the holding pen and swim away.

"It may have been an extreme reaction to the OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray or that the seal was stressed about being in holding pen."

Ms March said the department's ability to do animal research had been put at risk by the team's failure to comply with the code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes.

She said the staff departed from the method approved by the committee for the tests.

Department of Primary Industries staff in Tasmania spray capsicum spray into the eyes of a fur seal, breeching ethics codes. Source: The Mercury

"Upon realising that the project had ineffective methodology you were specifically required to halt the project immediately and seek AEC approval for any changes to the approved project," Ms March wrote to chief investigator Mike Greenwood.

"Due to the implications of this matter in terms of the animal research licence of this institution, I will be bringing this matter to the attention of the secretary."

The spraying of capsicum in the face of the caged seals was the main reason for non approval of the final report.

"AEC approval (of the project application) was for the OC spray to be administered whilst the seal was swimming freely in the 120 square metre polar circle netted fish pen," Ms March wrote.

Department biosecurity manager Alex Schaap told secretary Kim Evans he didn't think the breach was severe enough to warrant investigation of cruelty charges.
 

Department of Primary Industries staff in Tasmania spray capsicum spray into the eyes of a fur seal, breeching ethics codes. Source: The Mercury

"(But) I am concerned that staff still don't understand the significance of operation with AEC approval even after compulsory staff training," he said.

In March this year Primary Industries Minister Bryan Green wrote to the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee's Rick Campbell about that committee's concerns.

"I'd like to reassure the committee that since 2008 the department's AEC has implemented a range of measures to improve animal researchers compliance with the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act," Mr Green wrote.

Despite the AEC's concerns former environment, parks and heritage minister David O'Byrne gave approval in 2010 for fish farm staff to use capsicum spray on rogue seals.

But during the past two years Tasmania Police has opposed the deployment of the 35 per cent capsicum spray to fish farm staff. A police spokeswoman said no permits to use the spray had been approved.

A spokesman for the Tasmanian Salmonid Growers Association said Tassal was not using spray and it would not be used at a new development at Macquarie Harbour.

Huon Aquaculture managing director Peter Bender said his company had not used capsicum spray and did not intend to. He said it aimed to spend $20 million to $30 million in new netting and cages.

For local updates, see The Mercury.

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Car park double killer gets 24 years

The scene of the double murder in High St, Moe. Picture: Source: Herald Sun

A MAN who stabbed two people to death after an argument about a car parking spot has been jailed for at least 24 years.

Weeping erupted in courtrooms in the Victorian Supreme Court and in Morwell, where people who knew the victims watched the sentencing via videolink, as Richard De Vries was sentenced.

De Vries, 38, was found guilty of the murder of Evan Rudd and the manslaughter of his friend, Roy Poole, both 29, by a jury in June.

In February last year, De Vries returned to a friend's apartment complex in High St, Moe, from a night drinking and found his car had been blocked by Mr Poole's vehicle.

Mr Poole was visiting Mr Rudd.

De Vries, who was on parole at the time, began shouting threats, demanding the car be moved or it would be damaged.

A witness, Rodney Havis, heard De Vries call for a kitchen knife and armed himself with a sharpening steel before going to move the car with Mr Poole and Mr Rudd.

Following a fight with the men in which De Vries was punched in the face, De Vries lunged at Mr Rudd and Mr Poole, stabbing them in the chest and arms.

De Vries then fled the scene and was arrested several days later.

The injured men went back to Mr Rudd's unit, where they collapsed while waiting for an ambulance.

Mr Poole died at the scene. Mr Rudd passed away later in the Latrobe Valley Hospital.

De Vries, whose eyes were cast down throughout the sentencing, claimed he acted in self-defence.

Justice Lex Lasry told De Vries, who has 80 prior convictions, these "terrible" crimes were avoidable as he was being urged to leave the premises at the time.

"They were futile, violent and mindless and by the time you stabbed these men your actions were unprovoked," Justice Lasry said.

"(The victims') friends and family are having to deal with the fact that these young lives were taken as they were embarking on the best years of their adult lives and clearly those close to them will carry the impact of your crimes for the rest of their lives."

De Vries was sentenced to 24 years for murder, 13 years for manslaughter, with seven years to be served cumulatively.

His total effective sentence was 31 years, with a non-parole period of 24 years.

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Has #ClickFail hurt online shopping?

Click Frenzy founder Grant Arnott talks about the issues on The Today show

Click Frenzy has turned off some shoppers from online shopping forever. Picture: ThinkStock Source: Supplied

• 24 flash sale crashed for several hours after launch
• Retail expert says customers will be turned off online shopping
• Retailers may demand refunds

CUSTOMERS are threatening to abandon online shopping in the wake of the Click Frenzy debacle, prompting retailers to bolster their websites to avoid more embarrassing meltdowns.

The Click Frenzy 24-hour ''flash sale'' website crashed on Tuesday night as shoppers attempted to log on and bag a bargain.

It elicited a hasty apology from founder Grant Arnott, who said the clickfrenzy.com.au site buckled under the load of ''millions of queries''.

''We deeply apologise for the frustration our customers have experienced,'' Mr Arnott wrote on his Power Retail website.

Despite the technical gremlins, flagship retailer Myer said Click Frenzy helped generate record sales.

And the company promised to boost its own website capacity in the run-up to Christmas.

''We were very pleased with the customer traffic through to our online site during the Click Frenzy event,'' a Myer spokesman said.

Rival store David Jones didn't take part in the promotion, but ran its own in-store and online sales.

Its website also crashed, prompting chief executive Paul Zahra to promise reinforcements.

''It's fixable. We know what we need to do and we are working both locally and internationally to get that fixed as quickly as possible,'' Mr Zahra told reporters today.

Click Frenzy has left us 'internally damaged'

Click Frenzy under watchdog scrutiny

Retailers could seek damages

Meme makers go crazy

You're fired: We sack Click Frenzy

Disappointed retailers extend sales

Retailers may demand refunds

Fury over Click Frenzy failure

Crash 'just like any big sale'

The changes may come too late for some customers, with a number already vowing to abandon online shopping altogether.

''It's too stressful trying to compete with all the other customers, especially when it involves a website which barely works,'' Click Frenzy customer Sarah Burton wrote on Facebook.

Another added: ''Never again, I'm going to do all my shopping in the shops from now on.''

Retail expert Sue Say, from consultants Urbis, said the Click Frenzy experience will put some people off online shopping.

But Ms Say insisted the event demonstrated that plenty of Australians are willing to splash the cash online.

''As with just about everything in life, it comes down to execution,'' she said.

''And the execution was obviously poor.

''People need to be careful of the once-bitten twice shy phenomenon particularly for those who may not have participated in online sale sites before.''

The Click Frenzy sale was due to close at 7pm (AEDT) today.

Several retailers who took part in the promotion, including Bonds, announced they were extending their sales because of the website crash.

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Bikies' fury raises fears of new war

Police and firefighters at the scene of a burnt-out Mazda, which may be connected with fatal shooting in Pooraka. Picture: First On Scene Media Source: adelaidenow

• Angry bikies arrive at Pooraka spraypainters after man fatally shot
  
• Police examining link to molotov cocktail thrown into Parafield Gardens house and burnt-out car at Kangarilla
  
• Adelaide's Bikie Underworld - special page
  
  

THE arrival of angry bikies at the scenes of an execution-style murder and an arson attack have heightened fears that Adelaide's simmering bikie feud has again erupted.

Finks members were among the first to arrive at the scene of a fatal shooting at a Pooraka spray-painting and car body work business yesterday.

The brutal slaying followed a molotov cocktail attack on a Parafield Gardens home on Tuesday night, which quickly attracted a group of aggravated men - including one in Hells Angels colours - forcing their way through police.

The Finks and the Hells Angels have been engaged in a long-running dispute that led to a series of shootings and other violent incidents across Adelaide earlier in the year.

Police refused to release details of their investigation and would only confirm that a man in his 30s had suffered fatal gunshot wounds.

The shooting, on the Langford St industrial strip, occurred about 1.40pm yesterday. Witnesses said they heard a loud bang and then saw a white car fleeing the scene at high speed.

A policeman walks from the scene of the bikie shooting on Langford St, Pooraka. Picture: Campbell Brodie

The victim was pronounced dead at Royal Adelaide Hospital after paramedics had treated him at the scene.

He was shot inside the business - Unique Custom Paint & Panel - in front of terrified workers.

Well-known Finks member Dylan Jessen arrived at the warehouse shortly after the shooting and was heard yelling "Where's my mate?"

Most workers at neighbouring businesses were unaware of the shooting until police cordoned off the street.

"I heard a loud bang but we just thought it was a car backfiring," one worker said. "We only realised when someone came inside and said police had blocked off the street."

Major Crime Detective Inspector Mark Trenwith spoke briefly about the incident yesterday, but could not confirm the identity of the victim, how many shots were fired, how many assailants were believed to be involved or even whether bikies were involved.

He said police were "keeping an open mind" in the early stages of their investigation. 

The arson attack at 8.45pm on Tuesday involved a molotov cocktail being thrown into a Parafield Gardens home after a person forced their way into the unoccupied house on Rosecombe Place.

A man wearing a Hells Angels shirt ignored police warnings not to enter the house, screaming "Where's my mum?"

Det-Insp Trenwith said making any link between the two incidents would be "speculation".

Police at the scene of the shooting at Pooraka. Picture: Campbell Brodie

"We're just keeping an open mind," he said. "There were a number of people in the area when the incident happened, we're canvassing those people to find out what they've seen.

"It's a horrifying incident, obviously someone shot dead going about their business." 

Detectives were also investigating whether there were links between the shooting and a burnt-out car found at Kangarilla late yesterday afternoon. Fire crews and police were called to the fire about 5pm on Quigley Rd.

Acting Police Minister Ian Hunter said any criminal activity that put public safety at risk "is of serious and grave concern". He would not comment on fears that bikie violence had returned to Adelaide's streets. 

Police at the scene of the shooting at Pooraka. Picture: Campbell Brodie

Forensic specialists enter the spray painting business on Langford St, Pooraka. Picture: Campbell Brodie

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'No advantage' for asylum seekers

The federal govt has been accused of inflicting a 'crisis of cruelty' on asylum seekers detained on Nauru.

There is no room on Manus Island and Nauru for the thousands of asylum seekers who have arrived since August 13. Picture: Clint Deidenang Source: Supplied

THE government yesterday admitted Nauru, Manus Island and Australia's detention centres are full, as it abandoned threats to send asylum seekers offshore.

Instead, thousands will be released on bridging visas and given effective welfare payments of around $440 a fortnight to live in the community while their claims are processed.

The backdown was announced by Immigration Minister Chris Bowen just hours before the government suffered a defeat in the Senate on asylum policy.

Coalition and Greens MPs banded together to defeat legislation which would have meant asylum seekers already in the community would have their bridging visas automatically renewed.

The government also yesterday announced the reopening of Pontville detention centre in Tasmania and a 300 bed expansion of Melbourne's Immigration transit centre as it sent the first 19 men, women and children to Manus Island and flew 100 home to Sri Lanka on an RAAF jet.

However, on the same day it announced almost 120 asylum seekers had left Australia, the government revealed almost 140 people had arrived on two boats at Christmas Island and Cocos Island.

The Australian Greens, refugee advocates and rights groups say the government has effectively resurrected the Howard government's much-maligned Temporary Protection Visas.

Asylum seekers on these visas will live with the threat of being transferred to Nauru or Manus at any time but, unlike those given TPVs, they will not face the threat of being transferred home.

Almost 7700 asylum seekers have arrived since the government announced a return to Manus Island and Nauru, which was the scene of protests yesterday.

Fourteen out of 20 detention centres are over capacity.

Since Labor came to power in 2007, 30,194 asylum seekers have arrived on Australia's shores aboard 517 boats.

Mr Bowen said the government would apply a "no advantage" test so that asylum seekers released into the community would have their claims assessed in the same time as they would if they had waited in Indonesia or a refugee camp.

He also threatened to send some of the thousands set for release to Nauru and Manus Island as it expands capacity in future to a maximum of 2100 places across both centres.

Opposition Immigration spokesman Scott Morrison claimed the asylum seekers released on bridging visas would be on "hard wired welfare."

They will receive 89 per cent of the applicable Centrelink benefit and will not have work rights as they wait for their refugee claims to be finalised.

"They won't be able to support themselves and make a contribution to the community," he said.

"They will be put on the taxpayer's dollar.

"Today was an admission of failure. And a major concession that the problem has already overwhelmed their solution. The likelihood of being sent to Nauru was already in the single digits."

More than 16,600 asylum seekers have arrived since the government announced its first expansion of bridging visa releases last November.

"No one should doubt this government's resolve to break the people smugglers' business model and save lives at sea,'' Mr Bowen said.

He said asylum seekers could wait years either in the community or in offshore camps for their claims to be assessed to reflect waiting times in refugee camps.

"The no-advantage test will mean that people will wait for a a very substantial period," he said.

"Could it be five years? Yes it could."

He said the government would not react to claims from Amnesty International and refugee groups that conditions in Nauru were "appalling," saying hard decisions were needed to stop boats.

Greens Leader Christine Milne claimed the government was attempting to be "more extreme than John Howard" while Human Rights Commission President Gillian Triggs also expressed concern.

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