Town &
! 23rd March 2023 L Y E K E W FR EE
CountryJournal TV Guide inside! p.21 Footy Tipping Comp. p.14 Weather outlook p.6 p.7 p.10 p.25
Register for the Border District Eisteddfod
All ages are on the Stanthorpe green
Clarke luncheon for Protea Place
Coronial inquiry into local death Olav Muurlink editor@thedailyjournal.ink
A
coronial inquiry will be held into the death of 38-year-old disability pensioner and historian Steven Harrison on the Southern Downs last week. The case is also under investigation by the Ethical Standards Command of the Queensland Police Service, a police spokesperson told the Small Newspaper Company. Investigation is taking place on behalf of the State Coroner and
Photo of Steven Harrison courtesy of the Courier Mail
is subject to oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission, and follows allegations of mishandling of what was the second siege in less than a week in Queensland. Mr Harrison’s connections
with the Australian Federation Party, associated with the anti-lockdowns movement, appear to be linked with what unfolded last Monday night, March 13, with AFP’s local candidate Brett Tunbridge claiming to have been in communication with Mr Harrison during the siege, alleging police unnecessarily inflamed the situation. Mr Tunbridge has implied the death of Mr Harrison is part of a campaign against 'conspiracy theorists' stating on radio the police commissioner Katarina Carroll has said publicly "conspriacy the-
orists, we're coming for you, we'll hunt you down". A police spokesperson has flatly denied the comment was ever made. What both sides agree on is there was a complaint about Mr Harrison having been seen with a gun, but beyond that the stories diverge: Mr Tunbridge claims Mr Harrison had a gel blaster toy, while a close friend of Mr Harrison believes the historian may have had replicas of old firearms - reflective of his love of the British empire. Police at this stage not providing a comment on the presence or absence
of firearms. What also appears to be clear is that police surrounded Mr Harrison’s apartment, using spotlights, loudspeakers and sonic devices to attempt to dislodge Mr Harrison from his home. “He was an educated academic, a political adviser, and constitutional historian,” Mr Tunbridge told TNT Radio’s controversial talk host Chris Smith. “He was a small harmless guy, very studious, walked with a cane, hardly a Rambo killing machine.” Continued on page 5...
Dirty water complaints Kim Hanson-Ross kimberley.hansonross@icloud.com
O
ur newspapers were in tune with local complaints towards the end of last week of the quality of town water in Stanthorpe, noting a whitish discolouration by those offering commentary online. A Southern Downs Regional Council spokesperson responded, stating that Council was “not directly aware of any
issues with the water quality in Stanthorpe”. “Crews have been replacing interconnections in the Stanthorpe water network as part of its commitment to upgrade ageing infrastructure and this could have had some initial flow reversal effect which can result in dirty water being experienced,” the spokesperson said. “Council encourages the community to contact Customer Service to report any issues or concerns regarding water quality. Concerns can also be reported
through the free My SDRC App which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.” Council receives regular reports on the water quality through the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA), who’s “accredited laboratories” ensure that the “supplied water meets the current Australian drinking water guidelines.” Readers are welcome to contact The Town and Country Journal if they wish to share their thoughts on this matter.
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