Schoolies Week News

narooma news - Thursday, 2 December 2004

A rampage of wild and crazy vandalism was kicked off on Thursday evening last week after numerous carloads of young people arrived to stay at several holiday rental properties in Dalmeny.

Narooma Police said about 200 "schoolies" from Canberra had converged on Dalmeny and Kianga to celebrate the end of school.

Officers were continually called out over the weekend to deal with the anti-social behaviour but Police appeared powerless to put a stop to the ongoing vandalism.

The only official action they were able to take was the issuing of fines for excessive noise.

Local residents who have spent hours cleaning up the mess and repairing the damage caused, are horrified at was has happened.

Buckets full of rubbish have been picked up from the beaches and headlands and storm water drains cleared after residents saw vandals cramming junk into it.

Dalmeny's beautiful beaches were strewn with garbage, glass bottles were smashed on the boat ramp and the headlands covered in litter.

Residents gardens were attacked with plants ripped out, pots tipped over and garden lights and ornaments stolen.

Vehicles with loud music blaring were seen doing burnouts and driving recklessly on the headlands and beach foreshores at night.

One Dalmeny couple said that the five days and four nights of vandalism began with the removal of road signs from the shopping centre and the destruction of letterboxes, which were pushed over, torn off their posts or blown up with fireworks.

"What they couldn't break they'd blow up or throw over the cliff," the husband said.

"It's beyond a joke, street after street they rampaged through the suburb. And the money they spent on booze... it wasn't just a few beers, they'd brought in cartons of scotch and bourbon.

"They were drinking on the verandahs [of the holiday rental homes] and just tossing their empties into the street... we found bottles of scotch and bourbon discarded half full.

"They couldn't hold their liquor and there was vomit in the streets and on the footpaths... it was disgusting."

He said that the loud and abusive language the residents were subjected to was unbelieveable.

"I've been around, I was a truck driver, I used to deliver to Long Bay Jail... I've never heard anything like it."

One night during the rampage he and his wife heard some of the vandals outside their home where a caravan was parked in the driveway.

They heard them say "We'll get that van tomorrow and roll it down the street."

"I yelled out to them from inside the house,"the husband said "and told them to 'get going and wake up to themselves'. I was careful in what I said, I was concerned about retribution but they didn't come back."

As the rampage continued on into Sunday evening - garbage collection night for Dalmeny - the vandals emptied bins, pushed others over and tipped out recycling bins full of glass bottles.

Dalmeny residents say they are outraged that such despicable and hostile behaviour can go unchecked and that it can go on for so long.

"We contacted the local real estate agent that manages the properties and were told there was nothing that can be done to stop "schoolies" from renting holiday premises.

"We were told it would be discriminatory to turn them away. The agent should think of the residents and not just take the money and turn a blind eye... it can't be worth the damage and distress these "schoolies" have caused."

Local residents believe that the parents and schools of these young people must be notified and the children brought to account.

"We don't want it to happen again, we want it stopped."

Residents said that in previous years there had been some problems with unruly behaviour by tenants of holiday properties

"But those holiday flats have since changed management and the problem has ceased".

narooma news - Thursday, 2 December 2004

Police had their work cut out when about 200 "schoolies" from Canberra converged on Dalmeny and Kianga to celebrate the end of school over the weekend.

Numerous complaints were received from residents. Police issued noise abatement notices, checked for underage drinkers and moved the young people on.

Complaints were made about excessive noise, malicious damage to letter boxes and gardens and motor vehicle burn outs.

At 4pm on Thursday, November 25 police arrested and charged a 21 year old Dalmeny man for break, enter and steal offences that occurred at a Narooma holiday resort during February of this year.

A jacket, skateboard and joggers were stolen from a balcony of a Narooma holiday resort sometime between 10pm on Friday, November 19 and 9am the next day.

Between 11.50pm on Saturday 27 and 5.45am the next day there was an incident of malicious damage to a letterbox in McMillan Crescent Dalmeny.

A timber letterbox and plants were stolen from a home in Ocean Pde, Dalmeny and the garden was damaged. The incident ocurred between 11.15pm on Friday, November 26 and 8.30am the next day.

Between 8am on Saturday, November 27 and 1am the next morning a letterbox was smashed in Noble Pde, Dalmeny.

Another letterbox was destroyed in Jocelyn Street, Dalmeny between 12.30am on Wednesday, November 24 and 10am the next day.

There was a serious single car accident on Saturday, November 27, at 7.20pm at Cobargo. A motor vehicle travelling south on the Princes Hwy, lost control and collided with an embankment. A 44-year-old Cobargo man was taken to Bega Hospital with a broken arm and serious chest injuries. He was transferred to Canberra hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.

Police arrested five men after stopping and searching a Toyota Tarago near Eden on Sunday night, November 28.

Two men aged 19 and 22 and three men aged 29, from the south coast were charged with various offences after an amount of abalone with a market value of $15,000 was found in their possession.

Four men were granted bail to appear in Bega Local Court on January 11, 2005. One man was refused bail and appeared in court on Monday.

smh - December 2, 2004

The Gold Coast schoolies carnival has become a playground for Sydney's wealthiest teenagers, with estimates that about two of every three revellers attended private schools.

One of the event's biggest booking agents, Breakfree, which organises accommodation for about 35,000 students, said as many as 70 per cent of its NSW and Victorian bookings for Surfers Paradise were made by students from exclusive schools.

Another agent, Teenbreak, said it had "noticed a very strong trend ... towards kids from top schools, whose parents book their accommodation".

At the top of Breakfree's NSW bookings this year was Abbotsleigh, in Wahroonga, with 179 students, representing almost all of year 12. It was followed by St Ignatius' College, Riverview, which has 166 final- year students at Surfers Paradise, and Barker College, Hornsby, with 159.

The next three schools most heavily represented were St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill, Loreto Kirribilli and Loreto Normanhurst.

Only two state schools, Pennant Hills High and Great Lakes High, were among the top 15.

"From Queensland we only had one state school in the top 20, and the same for Victoria," said Breakfree's Luke Jamieson. "I think it's got a lot to do with affordability; a lot of these kids get money from their parents."

Leonore Carr, 18, who went to Loreto Normanhurst, said her parents paid for her room at an upmarket hotel, which had been "swamped by private school kids".

Her friend, Fran Farthing, 17, who attended Brigidine College in St Ives, said she had met a student from the Shore school, in North Sydney, who had brought $3000 "just for spending money. I was like, 'what are you doing?'."

But two former Riverview students, Michael Mendoza, 18, and Grant Percy, 18, agreed with their year-mate James Guion, 17, who said: "It doesn't matter where you went to school because everyone's doing the same stuff - drinking and heading out.

"That's what you're here for - it's just a relaxing end-of-year party, private school or state school."

Dr Noel Scott, from the University of Queensland's Tourism and Leisure Management School, said the end-of-year event was born in 1974 when a handful of Brisbane private school students threw a series of summer parties at a Broadbeach weekender.

ninemsn - Tue Nov 30 2004

Police say older men, not school leavers, are responsible for anti-social behaviour at popular Western Australian holiday destinations at this time of year.

Police said they were generally impressed by the behaviour of thousands of school leavers who flocked to the state's south-west and Rottnest Island to celebrate the end of high school.

A police spokesman from Rottnest Island said although it had been a busy night, there were only a handful of problems and only a few schoolies were sent back to the mainland or issued with evictions.

"There were a few assaults but very few evictions," the spokesman said.

"We knew that Saturday night was going to be the peak night but it was not really the schoolies that were the problem, more the hangers-on and the distant affiliated people.

"Overall, they were pretty well behaved though."

The spokesman said police were confident there would be no more trouble.

"Lots of them will be leaving today, the peak has been so hopefully that will mean that things are pretty quiet from here on in," he said.

A police spokesman in Dunsborough, 250km south-west of Perth, said that the crowd of 4,000 were generally well behaved but said police were paying particular attention to the behaviour of older males who had attended the annual end of school exam celebrations.

"There was definitely an increase in the percentage of males aged over 18 years here and we are definitely aware of their presence," he said.

The spokesman said there were 32 arrests, including 12 adults and 20 juveniles, for a range of offences including disorderly conduct, assault and street drinking.

He said police were investigating an assault where a male volunteer from a local community group was punched in the face.

courier mail - 30nov04

FEWER people were arrested at this Schoolies Festival on the Gold Coast than in previous years, police figures show.

Of 418 people arrested, 103 were schoolies. In the same period last year, 451 people were arrested – 134 of them schoolies.

Police Superintendent Brett Pointing said schoolies had earned an "A+" for their behaviour.

Liquor fines from Schoolies could net the State Government up to $270,000.

About 1200 tickets with fines of between $75 and $225 were issued in Surfers Paradise during the past 10 days.

Police seized 183 false identification cards – a huge drop from last year's haul of 900.

Only six people have come forward to hand in false IDs after police cracked an organised forgery racket operating through high schools.

Computer equipment seized from the raids has identified 400 teenage customers. Each of them will be investigated.

"It certainly escalates the seriousness of the offence if they use them," Supt Pointing said.

"Those who have gone through the court so far have only received a fine and have had no conviction recorded."

Sunday night marked the end of the festival.

School leavers from NSW and Victoria are still booked to visit Surfers Paradise over the next two weeks.

Supt Pointing said most of them were over the age of 18 and, unlike their Queensland counterparts, could turn to nightclubs for entertainment.

Meanwhile, Gold Coast MP Steven Ciobo is hoping the Federal Government can come to the rescue of the Schoolies Festival after it was announced recently that State Government funding for the event would be slashed.

Mr Ciobo said he planned to ask Arts Minister Helen Coonan about possible funding for what had become "a national youth festival".

He said the festival had outgrown the capabilities of the Gold Coast City Council.

"Schoolies is now an institution and regardless of whether there is entertainment and activities, the schoolies are still going to come to the Gold Coast," Mr Ciobo said.

abc
A federal Gold Coast MP wants the Howard Government to help fund the annual schoolies festival.

Steven Ciobo, the Member for Moncrieff, put the idea to Arts Minister Helen Coonan today.

The Queensland Government wants the Gold Coast City Council to coordinate the festival next year but Mr Ciobo says there is a role for the Federal Government as well.

"There is also a very, very large component of interstate children who attend schoolies so I certainly believe there is a very large role for the Federal Government to play in assisting, as I said, in diversionary activities," he said.

the australian - November 29, 2004

POLICE with sniffer dogs searched schoolies leaving Sydney on a Pacific cruise today, seizing a small amount of drugs and arresting one person.

Police and customs officers brought in the dogs as about 1750 teenage school-leavers lined up to board the P&O liner Pacific Sun at Darling Harbour as it prepared to sail.

The ship later left Sydney bound for Vanuatu, New Caledonia and other Pacific islands, and is due to return on December 8.

NSW Police Marine Area Command crime manager Inspector Glenn Finniss said police seized "minor quantities" of cannabis during the operation.

Police issued one person with a field court attendance notice for possessing a small quantity of a prohibited drug.

Insp Finniss could not put a dollar figure on the value of drugs police seized.

"We're just showing ... schoolies that we're interested in their safety," he said.

"We brought the drug dogs along and ran through the lines (of people waiting to board) to make sure no drugs were being taken on board.

"The response from the parents has been fantastic."

Customs spokesman Chris Schofield said it was just a "normal operation" and not a raid.

P&O spokesman John Richardson said the company had been working with police to ensure schoolies did not take illegal drugs on to the Pacific Sun.

P&O had stepped up security on its schoolies cruise since last year when a 10-day Vanuatu cruise was plagued by wild behaviour, and had warned passengers not to take illegal drugs onto the ship.

"We think we've given a lot of notice to the schoolies groups as to what's expected," Mr Richardson said.

"We've made it quite clear in outlining our policy on proof of age and the banning of illegal drugs.

"It's not something that should have been news to any passengers."

Schoolies preparing to board the ship said they felt safer knowing there was little chance of drugs being on board.

"It's good," Elise McKenna, 18, said.

"It means people won't spike our drinks."

Kieran Perry and Sam Marinan, 18, said the drug operation was "fair enough".

"If we wanted to take drugs we would've gone to Surfers Paradise," Mr Perry said.

"You don't need to – it's just about winding down."

herald sun - 29nov04

POLICE today raided a cruise ship as it prepared to leave Sydney with almost 2000 schoolies week revellers on board.

A police spokeswoman said officers and sniffer dogs descended on wharf eight at Darling Harbour early in the afternoon to conduct a drug operation.
About 1900 schoolies were searched for drugs as they boarded the cruise ship.

"We expect some results later this evening," she said.

The destination of the cruise ship was not known at this stage, the spokeswoman said.

townsville bulletin - 29nov04

AUTHORITIES have declared the Magnetic Island Schoolies Week a raging success.

A combination of no arrests and the tip-top organisation of activities made the perfect recipe for a memorable week.

Dozens of schoolies piled back to the mainland over the weekend as the official Schoolies Week celebrations wound down.

A group of Kirwan High School girls, who stayed on the island for a week, say they had some of the best days of their lives.

"It was the best week ever," Ashlee Leavy, 17, said.

"There was a big group of us in a house. We loved it. It was fantastic.

"They do a lot to take care of you. Every night we had the schoolies' chaplains come to visit us."

Inspector Greg Strohfeldt of Townsville police said no arrests were made during the week-long celebration.

Apart from a few noise complaints and other general issues involving "attitude" problems, everyone was well behaved.

He said islanders generally welcomed the schoolies to the island.

More than 710 schoolies registered for the event, with hundreds more also believed to be on the island.

Schoolie Monica Wormald, who graduated from Kirwan High School, was grateful for the prominent police presence on the island.

"The police were good, they did their jobs and they were friendly," she said.

Allyse Reinmuth, of Brisbane, said she was turned off by all the "older people" who went to Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast so she decided to share the time with old friends from Townsville.

She said Magnetic Island was a great spot with not too many people around.

Airlie Beach Schoolies Week also came to a happy end at the weekend.

Senior-Sergeant Mark Henderson of Whitsunday police said only three arrests had been made and 10 tickets had been issued to minors for drinking in a public place.

"Other than that the schoolies were very good," he said.

"The reason they come to Airlie Beach is because of the safety.

"They all praise the event for its safety plus the daily activities like reef trips, parasailing and quadbiking."

Schoolies from Brisbane, Mount Isa, Cairns, Mackay and Townsville made up some of the 2500 schoolies who registered for the activities.

Sen-Sgt Henderson said talk of trouble between a group of boys from Cairns and a group from Mackay never amounted to anything serious - "just all talk and no action".

herald sun - 29nov04

LORNE businesses fed up with vandalism and rubbish from Schoolies Week revellers are furious the annual trouble fest is cutting into their tourism dollar.

After another night of property being damaged, noise and hoons in cars on Lorne's streets and foreshore, residents yesterday demanded that police rid the coastal resort of troublemakers.

They also called for bylaws banning drinking on the street to be enforced.

Guests have cancelled accommodation reservations and are choosing to have a holiday elsewhere because of the raucous behaviour, owners say.

Members of the Lorne Surf Lifesaving Club told the Herald Sun they were sick of having to move mounds of bottles and glass every morning.

A plantation of two-metre Norfolk pines was ripped from the soil at Lorne's Erskine Paddock at the weekend, while the fence around the foreshore in-ground trampolines was stamped to the ground.

Traders yesterday told the Herald Sun of their frustration at constant urinating in the street, thumping music and swearing and screaming into the early hours.

Gary Enticott of the Anchorage Motel and Villas and Lorne Ocean Sun Apartments was furious revellers had urinated near his apartments and broken into a guest swimming pool to swim nude in the night.

He said he and his guests had been kept awake by cars screeching and engines revving and he was sick of calling police. "A few people have cancelled, they tell us they'll come back when this is all over," he said.

"The noise is a problem, but the damage and litter in the street is at a cost to the community -- someone's got to clean it up."

Trade at the Imperial Rhino Restaurant has fallen 50 per cent since schoolies celebrations began a week ago, owner Chris Lane said.

"Older crowds are definitely down," he said. "People passing through to Apollo Bay and other places who might have stayed in Lorne will keep going through around this time."

Brent Enticott, a Lorne Surf Lifesaving Club committee member, said the club should not have to contend with a littered beach when its objective was to save lives.

"There's grog cans and bottles all over the beach -- they need to blitz it and book them all," he said. "You expect to be able to run on the beach in the morning but you just can't because of the broken glass."

But Rick Munday of the Munday Group, which owns both the Lorne and Torquay hotels, said Schoolies Week was a boon for Lorne.

He said the Lorne Hotel had been filled for its weekend disco and argued the town needed the business at this time of year to sustain it through the harsher winter months.

"It brings a lot of money into the town," he said. "Schoolies are never going to go away, they're here to stay. At least we've provided a safe environment and activities for them.

"Lorne wouldn't be the town it is without these types of events."

smh - November 29, 2004

"You can't miss it" ... school-leavers flocking to the Gold Coast in a hurry to spend their hard-earned cash are increasingly seen as a captive market.

Almost anyone on the Gold Coast will tell you the Surfers Paradise schoolies circus is about "the kids". Few of the school-leavers appreciate, however, that their end-of-year extravaganza is owned, orchestrated and exploited by wealthy adults.

Since the booking agent Breakfree trademarked the terms "schoolies" and "schoolies week" in the 1990s, commercial forces have guided the evolution of schoolies into a carefully choreographed event, sponsored by big companies and decorated, for the first time this year, by a flourishing line in merchandising.

The Queensland Government has provided a text messaging information service that costs 55 cents a message. By registering, schoolies can agree to have their details passed on to third parties.

Sally Freud, spokeswoman for schoolies organiser Media Rare, said the service "was not about profit or ripping off the kids, it's about communicating with them. The charge is merely an offset."

Mick Adams, 17, from Willoughby, and his friends from Killarney Heights High each budgeted $1500 for schoolies, mostly scraped together from part-time jobs. Almost $400 will go on lodgings, booked through Breakfree's schoolies.com website, and most of the rest on food and alcohol.

"It's heaps of money for a week, especially for people our age, but it doesn't really matter what you spend because you've got to go to schoolies week, you can't miss it," Mick said.

Among the drunken crowd lurching through Cavill Mall after dark can been seen hundreds of schoolies T-shirts, caps, beer hats and other garish accessories.

Angela Driscoll, who watches the crowds from her post in the Public Intoxication Project, said a trickle of merchandising in previous years had turned into a flood: "For some reason this year they're really forcing these things on the kids and having massive success - everyone's wearing the T-shirts. That's smart business, I suppose."

Schoolies week usually drags out into a month, during which time about 60,000 adolescents pour more than $30 million into the local economy, according to the Surfers Paradise Chamber of Commerce. A healthy slice of that goes to Breakfree.

A recent offer by the company to pay the State Government $500,000 for complete branding rights to schoolies week on the Gold Coast was rejected. Last year the agent was criticised in a report by Queensland Legal Aid for hijacking schoolies and contributing to inflated prices and unfair conditions.

But Breakfree's Luke Jamieson said the allegations were unfair. "We helped create schoolies, we've been here since the '80s. The kids come to the Gold Coast anyway, we just provide a service, I wouldn't say that makes it a commercialised event."

courier mail - 29nov04

JASMINE Mulligan has been to Schoolies – and unfortunately, she has the scars to prove it.

Ms Mulligan, 18, from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales, had been at the Gold Coast Schoolies celebrations for less than a day when she was badly injured by a flying firework.

She was partying with her sister and friends on Surfers Paradise beach on Saturday night when the firework was let off in the crowd. The rogue rocket hit her in the shoulder, setting her blouse on fire.

"It just came flying towards me out of nowhere. I was standing there and the next thing I know, I'm on fire," Ms Mulligan said yesterday.

The Mount View High School graduate suffered second-degree burns to her shoulder and hand as she tried to get the burning firework off her.

She was treated at the Gold Coast Hospital before being released yesterday.

But Ms Mulligan said she was determined the incident would not ruin her Schoolies celebration.

As the festival wound up last night, police tamed a carpet snake, and appeared to have tamed the schoolies. The 1m python was confiscated from a school-leaver who brought it to Surfers Paradise as a prank on the second weekend of the 10-day festival.

He was one of 92 schoolies arrested until yesterday, well down on the 137 collared by police in 2003.

Gold Coast police district officer Superintendent Brett Pointing said a large police presence and a zero-tolerance towards drinking in public had helped make this year's Schoolies one of the most trouble-free in years.

the australian - November 28, 2004

POLICE said today that it was older men, not school leavers, that were responsible for anti-social behaviour at popular Western Australian holiday destinations at this time of year.

Police said they were generally impressed by the behaviour of thousands of school leavers who flocked to the state's south-west and Rottnest Island to celebrate the end of high school.

A police spokesman from Rottnest Island said today although it had been a busy night, there were only a handful of problems and only a few schoolies were sent back to the mainland or issued with evictions.

"There were a few assaults but very few evictions," the spokesman said.

"We knew that Saturday night was going to be the peak night but it was not really the schoolies that were the problem, more the hangers-on and the distant affiliated people.

"Overall, they were pretty well behaved though."

The spokesman said police were confident there would be no more trouble.

"Lots of them will be leaving today, the peak has been so hopefully that will mean that things are pretty quiet from here on in," he said.

A police spokesman in Dunsborough, 250km south-west of Perth, said that the crowd of 4,000 were generally well behaved but said police were paying particular attention to the behaviour of older males who had attended the annual end of school exam celebrations.

"There was definitely an increase in the percentage of males aged over 18 years here and we are definitely aware of their presence," he said.

The spokesman said there were 32 arrests, including 12 adults and 20 juveniles, for a range of offences including disorderly conduct, assault and street drinking.

He said police were investigating an assault where a male volunteer from a local community group was punched in the face.

the advertiser - 28nov04

POLICE charmed 20,000 schoolies and a carpet snake on the busiest night of celebrations so far for the class of 2004.

Six schoolies including the owner of the snake were apprehended during a well behaved final Saturday night out at the annual festival on the Gold Coast.

The metre-long python was being paraded around Surfers Paradise as a prank by a schoolie who said he caught it in nearby bushland.

Police had no trouble charming the snake into custody but the teenage prankster allegedly attempted to flee and was charged with obstructing and assaulting police.

The snake was to be returned to the wild.

New schoolie arrivals from Victoria and New South Wales created the largest crowd so far for the national festival.

Melbourne schoolie Amy Whittal said it lived up to expectations.

"If getting totally off your nut is what you expected then it was great," she said.

In the most dangerous incident of the night an 18-year-old NSW schoolie was treated for second degree burns to her hand and chest when she was hit by illegal fireworks on Surfers Paradise beach.

"The fireworks struck the girl in the right shoulder and set her blouse alight and in fact burnt her hand and right shoulder," said police Superintendent Brett Pointing.

"Police believe it to be accidental. It was a firework, similar to a skyrocket, that went up into the air and came down into the crowd."

A review of video surveillance of the beach area is being made to try to identify the person who ignited the firework.

Schoolies entertainment officially ends tonight although thousands of interstate school leavers and hundreds of extra police are expected to remain on the coast for another two weeks.

"I think the strong police presence is critical," said Supt Pointing.

"What it does is create a safe environment for schoolies and sends a clear message to would be trouble makers that if they play up they are going to get arrested."

Schoolies were generally comfortable with the heavy police attendance.

"We're not looking out for trouble so it makes you feel safe," said Darren Jones of Sydney.

"If anything it makes you feel safe when other people are going around doing stupid things," added Sibil Oksayan of Melbourne.

The 2004 graduates are considered by organisers as the best behaved in recent years. In the first nine days there were 93 schoolies arrested, well down on the 10-day figure of 137 in 2003.

This year there were 301 non-schoolie arrests which is also lower than previous years.

Police said a zero tolerance policy to drinking in public was a key factor to reducing unlawful behaviour.

"It's been a significant contributor to the better behaviour of this year's event," said Supt Pointing.

cbc news - 27 Nov 2004

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - High school graduates in Australia are being warned about excessive drinking during week-long celebrations to mark the end of exams.

A nationwide survey shows that more than 90 per cent of young Australians have tried alcohol by the time they turn 14 and that many older teenagers regularly drink to excess.

Thousands of schoolies, as they're known, converged on Queensland's Gold Coast for end-of-year parties, which were ending Saturday.

Dozens of arrests, including many for alcohol-related offences, have marred celebrations over the past couple of nights at the popular Surfers Paradise resort.

Police say, however, that about half of those arrested have been people referred to as "toolies," older men who take advantage of the Schoolies Week celebrations.

The majority of the students are well behaved, police say. But alcohol abuse is a major problem, especially for those who are under 18 and aren't legally allowed to drink.

It seems the law hasn't been that effective. A survey conducted two years ago by Australia's Cancer Council has now revealed disturbing trends in teenage drinking.

It estimates that 20 per cent of 16 and 17 year olds regularly drink to excess.

Many other teenagers consume alcohol far less frequently, but when they do they tend to binge, the survey suggests. Doctors have warned that this can lead to heart complaints and brain damage. It also puts young people at risk from physical and sexual abuse as well as drunk driving.

The common view that many teenagers appear to have is that because alcohol is so widely available, it can't be that harmful.

It's a problem not only for older students. More than a fifth of the 12-year-olds who were surveyed said they had drunk alcohol either at home, at a friend's house or at a party.

The survey also showed that the number of Australian teenagers smoking and using illicit drugs has fallen significantly in recent years.

news.com.au - November 28, 2004

PREDATORY older men – known as "toolies" – have spoilt the start of Schoolies Week in Dunsborough.

The men fought rolling brawls while younger school leavers watched.

Police estimated about 2500 revellers partied in the seaside town on Friday night and they were bracing for bigger crowds last night.

Five adults were arrested and four juveniles cautioned. Police issued 175 street-drinking cautions.

An 18-year-old man was charged with assault and resisting arrest, two 18-year-olds were arrested for disorderly conduct and a 19-year-old was charged with drink-driving.

Schoolies thanked police "for looking out for them" but said organised entertainment would have helped avoid the fights from starting.

At least four violent fights broke out on Friday night, with older men involved in three of them.

The fights drew a stampede of schoolies who wanted to watch.

Friends of one man arrested for fighting hurled bottles at police on horseback.

Relations between police and schoolies was good, with some police prepared to pose for photographs.

Sgt Gary Lewis praised the class of 2004.

"There was a really good atmosphere and the schoolies have been great," he said.

Katelyn Brett, 17, from Mandurah Senior College, said the police made her feel safe.

"The police are here to keep an eye out for us and protect us from the older, greasy guys," she said.

She was enjoying her schoolies experience but said organised entertainment was needed desperately.

"I think there should be a band and a DJ. If there is entertainment the crowd won't be as boozy," she said.

Daniel Ashton, from Lakelands Senior High School, said: "If there is a source of entertainment then everyone won't go running after fights, looking for action."

Rance Driscoll, from the Dunsborough Schoolies Advisory Committee, said there was no entertainment because of a lack of funding.

Sgt Lewis said crowd numbers were down on last year but there were more older men in the town.

Matthew Briggs and Michael Ganic, both 19, said they had not gone to Dunsborough looking for trouble.

"Chicks go for older guys but we are not prowlers," Mr Ganic said. "This will be our last schoolies. When you turn 20 you are too old for this."

About 100 volunteers helped police keep the peace.

Hundreds of schoolies exhausted from days of partying left Rottnest Island yesterday, only to be replaced by a new batch of beer-laden teenagers.

Sgt Peter Scott praised the leavers and said they had generally been well behaved.

In Lancelin, where about 500 leavers had gathered, a youth was hurt by a reversing car. Police reported graffiti damage and vandalism.

news.com.au - November 28, 2004

AN internal police inquiry will be held into a crash that claimed the life of South-West police officer and left another officer fighting for life.

The senior constables, stationed at Bunbury, 180km south of Perth, were on a routine traffic patrol yesterday when the accident occurred at 10.05am.

Their unmarked car was making a U-turn on Bussell Highway near Ludlow forest when it was struck side-on by a following Toyota four-wheel-drive.

The police car had been travelling south towards Dunsborough for Schoolies Week. The 29-year-old driver, whose name has not been released, died instantly.

His patrol partner was airlifted by RAC rescue helicopter to Royal Perth Hospital. He has severe head injuries and was in a serious but stable condition.

The driver of the Toyota was treated for minor injuries.

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan visited the crash scene, 20km northeast of Busselton, yesterday and spoke to the constables' shocked colleagues.

"This is a reminder to us all of the dangers of policing and a truly sad occasion for all members of the WA Police Service," he said.

"Every support is being given to the officers' families."

The dead constable was married. His first wedding anniversary would have been tomorrow. His family was interstate and was due to fly home from Victoria yesterday.

The policeman's injured colleague, who is 48, has a wife and two children.

Police Minister Michelle Roberts yesterday sent her sympathies to the men's families.

"All police families know that when their husband or wife goes to work each day that they are going into an environment of risk. They hope to see them come home again and this is a tragic reminder of the risks involved in policing," she said.

"It's a shocking tragedy. It's occurred this morning in presumably reasonable road conditions. It shows you that the road is a dangerous environment at any time in the day or night, and people need to take care."

Officers from the major crash section were investigating the accident.

They will investigate if the patrol car made the U-turn to pursue a speeding vehicle, which may have passed in the opposite direction. A coronial inquest will be held.

The speed limit on Bussell Highway where the accident happened is 110km/h. The road was closed for several hours.

sunday mail - 28nov04

SCHOOLIES for Queenslanders officially ended yesterday morning with this year's senior class judged the best behaved in recent years.

A record 30,000-plus crowd crammed into Surfers Paradise on Friday night and partied through to the early hours.

Of the 71 people arrested on 81 charges during the last night, only 11 were schoolies.

Gold Coast police District Superintendent Brett Pointing told The Sunday Mail: "I'd like to congratulate them. They've been a credit to themselves and their parents."

The key to the low numbers of arrests and lack of major incidents during the 10-day festival has been a strong police presence, backed up by 1100 volunteers and a huge entertainment program, including bands and sports arranged by event organisers Media Rare.

Many schoolies complained that the event was "over-rated".

After spending up to $2000, some found their apartment "house rules" strict, but most of the female revellers welcomed the support from police and volunteers, giving them high-fives as they passed in Cavill Mall.

Drug-Arm education, training and research co-ordinator Michael Watts, who has been involved in Schoolies for eight years, said he had not spotted anything that "alarmed" him during the week.

"Alcohol was always a given and it hasn't changed over the five years of our research to any great extent," Mr Watts said.

"I haven't seen any of the major signs of any other drug use with the ones I've had contact with."

Surfers Paradise Community Association chairman John Hill wants the event scrapped.

"From about 8 o'clock to 3am we have three bands on the beach going 'boom, boom, boom' and that echoes up into the apartments," said Mr Hill, whose group has lost 40 members due to relocation from Surfers over the festival's noise.

news.com.au - November 28, 2004

ADAM Barker's schoolies' week will be one the Warrandyte teen remembers for all the wrong reasons.

Adam, 18, was recovering at home yesterday after suffering facial injuries in a bloody beachfront bashing at Lorne early on Friday that left him battered and unconscious in hospital.

The confident and outgoing teen says he is now afraid to go out alone.

Graphic pictures of his injuries published in yesterday's Herald Sun reminded Adam the attack was not just a bad dream.

In other developments:

LOCAL business owners in Lorne reported that many visiting schoolies had been called home by their parents after Friday night's violence.

IN QUEENSLAND, police voiced concerns that "pre-schoolies" -- children as young as 15 -- had been found drunk among crowds at schoolies week on the Gold Coast.

Adam's memory of the incident is clouded by concussion caused by repeated blows to his head.

Witnesses to the attack on the Lorne foreshore - which started about 1am - reported that a gang of older men bashed Adam and his friend Cameron Bell, 18, from Hampton East, punching and kicking the pair until they collapsed on the beach. They were taken by ambulance to Lorne hospital.

"I remember lying there and just looking up at this mass of people around me - I can't remember any of their faces, just people," Adam said.

"I woke up in the hospital and saw all the blood. I was pretty shocked and upset then."

Adam said the bashing had ruined the holiday he had looked forward to all year, and cut short his stay in Lorne when he had to return home to be cared for by his parents.

He said he was loath to go out on the town unless accompanied by a group of mates.

"It's deterred me from going out in a small group - you need a bigger group around you to deter these attackers," Adam said. "I'll still go out, but I'll be more wary."

Older gatecrashers who spoil schoolies celebrations with violence and intimidation should "get a life", Adam said.

He and his friends had been enjoying a small private party at a holiday house before venturing to the foreshore.

"They should be mature enough to realise they shouldn't harass young girls and guys," he said. "They need to see there's better things to do in life than attack people."

A strong student, Adam said he had studied hard for the past year to improve his chances of being accepted to study law at university next year.

He had reluctantly turned down countless party invitations all year to concentrate on the books. Adam said he felt angry that the reward he had planned for himself had been tainted.

The end-of-school party was to be a double celebration for Adam, who turned 18 last Monday.

The week in Lorne had been meticulously planned by the teenager and his mates from Warrandyte and the Toorak school where he finished his VCE exams earlier this month.

"I'd worked really hard and we were all looking forward to getting away and having a good time," he said.

"Then this had to happen and put a dampener on everything."

Adam's father, Tony --who rushed to Lorne when he first heard about Adam's injuries early on Friday morning - said he was relieved his son appeared to be recovering well.

"He's shaken up and a bit black and blue, but he's doing well under the circumstances," Mr Barker said.

"He's a very fit boy, so that's helped him."

Police are investigating the incident, but have not laid charges.

On the Gold Coast, teenagers as young as 15, some of them believed to be Victorians, were celebrating with older siblings and friends.

Superintendent Brett Pointing of Gold Coast police said he was shocked girls as young as 15 had been found drunk on the streets.

the age - November 28, 2004

Police will increase schoolies week patrols in Lorne after two teenage boys were viciously bashed for defending their female friends early on Friday morning.

Police superintendent Steve Barber said that while he did not expect more such incidents, he had sent two extra police cars to Lorne to protect schoolies from gatecrashers.

"If these older people, whether they are referred to as toolies or predators, are waiting for soft targets to assault and become involved with or perhaps interfere with the young females that are there, it is totally unacceptable," he said.

"We're doing everything we can to prevent it, but from my information the people involved aren't really breaking any laws leading up to these events - they are just waiting for their moment - on that basis it becomes very difficult."

The two 18-year-olds were kicked, punched and stomped on when they told a group of men to stop bothering the girls, who had rejected the men's advances.

Superintendent Barber said problems associated with schoolies on the Gold Coast seemed to have made their way to Victoria.

"Schoolies is a relatively new phenomenon for the Surf Coast, and periodically you do get assaults and things that come largely from the increase in the numbers in the areas, but we are concerned," he said.

Superintendent Barber said the particularly violent week in Lorne, including seizure of weapons such as a hunting knife and a home-made baton, could spell the end for schoolies week on the Surf Coast.

Lorne Hotel licensee Rick Munday lashed out at the "toolies", saying they were giving schoolies week a bad name.

"They're just the people from the western suburbs of Melbourne who have nothing better to do then prey on young teenagers," Mr Munday said.

abc - Nov 27 2004

Students celebrating schoolies' week on Sydney Harbour have been warned to party responsibly as police plan a crackdown on drugs in the harbour area.

Marine Area Commander Terry Dalton said students attending parties on the harbour or on ocean cruises should celebrate safely.

Police would patrol the harbour and foreshores with drug detection dogs in the coming weeks, he said.

"NSW Police do not want to spoil your fun but we will not tolerate criminal behaviour," Superintendent Dalton said in a statement.

"Anyone caught breaking the law will be charged and could very well end up with a criminal record which can have a detrimental effect on future careers."

Drug Squad Commander David Laidlaw also warned schoolies to be aware of the dangers of drink-spiking and taking drugs.

"You can have fun without taking drugs or drinking to excess and it's just not worth the risk breaking the law," Detective Superintendent Laidlaw said.

"In recent months we have seen a number of drink-spiking incidents and remind students to be alert and aware of the dangers."

P&O Cruises Managing Director Gavin Smith said security on cruises had been stepped up.

"We have doubled the number of security officers on board the ship and introduced stringent new measures for the service of alcohol, such as the use of vinyl wristbands to clearly identify passengers 18 and over," he said.

"Irresponsible behaviour which jeopardises the comfort and safety of other passengers and crew will not be tolerated."

abc
The father of a teenager attacked at a schoolies celebration at Lorne in Victoria says he is satisfied with the level of security at the popular seaside venue.

Two 18-year-old boys received facial injuries when they were set on by a group of men on Lorne's foreshore early yesterday morning.

The father of one of the victims, Geoffrey Bell, says he is grateful his son Cameron escaped with minor injuries.

He believes the assault is not the result of a lack of policing.

"I think the police have taken on the task in a proper manner - they've had reinforcements down there for this week," he said.

"There's a limit to what they can do, they can't be everywhere.

"I think we've got to turn it around a bit and say, 'Why is it necessary to do that, why can't people behave themselves and not do these things?'"

herald sun - 27nov04

VICTORIAN lifesavers have begun patrols of the state's beaches four days ahead of the official start of summer.

Four and a half thousand volunteers joined professional lifeguards for the start of beach patrols at 58 beaches and inland locations around the state today.

Last year, more than 800 rescues were performed by volunteer lifesavers and professional lifeguards at Victorian beaches.

A spokeswoman for Life Saving Victoria said both volunteers and professional lifeguards have to sit annual proficiency tests.

"Each year volunteers are tested by Life Saving officials to ensure lifesaving skills are maintained in order to make patrolled beaches a safer place to swim," she said.

Volunteers usually patrol the state's beaches until the the Christmas-New Year break, when they are joined by professional lifeguards.

But Life Saving Victoria said it had made an exception this year.

"The professional lifeguards have started today at Torquay and Lorne to ensure the schoolies are playing it safe by the water."

abc
This year's school leavers celebrating the milestone on Queensland's Gold Coast have been described as one of the best-behaved groups ever.

Police say about 30,000 people converged on Surfers Paradise last night.

Another 70 people were arrested, but only 11 of those were schoolies.

Emergency Services Minister Chris Cummins says the Queensland revellers have had an enjoyable week.

"Everyone believes that the youth that have been here, the schoolies that have been here, have probably been one of the best groups in many years," he said.

"[That} shows they are acting more maturely, the message is getting through, they're still having a great time and everyone should be very happy."

Police expect New South Wales and Victorian school leavers to arrive next week.

herald sun - 27nov04

THE father of another schoolies' week victim was woken in the early hours of yesterday morning by police. They told him his son had been beaten senseless.

The father's first thought was of cricketer David Hookes, who died after his head hit the road.
The 18-year-old who was bashed at Lorne was luckier. He was at a beach party and taken to hospital with facial injuries while his attackers exchanged high-fives.

They were older than the school leavers innocently letting off steam and police need to be on the lookout for these predators on the beaches this weekend.

the age - November 27, 2004

Meter Maids are part of the Gold Coast's glossy image, but life is not always a beach for the locals.

Beyond the image that lured the schoolies this week is another old Coast where poverty, crime and isolation dwell, writes Mark Todd.

The young man slumped and dying on the steps of the rundown motel was one of the many who didn't get their slice of paradise. He had been fatally stabbed in a dispute with another man over jewellery. Nothing of real value. Both had fallen into the local drug scene.

Only metres away, beyond the motel's faded peach walls and thinning hedges, commuters on one of the country's busiest roads were fixed in a peak-hour trance. No one stopped.

It could have been Kings Cross or St Kilda. But barely 100 metres from the motel, another world begins - for those who can afford it. Tourists sit down at swish new restaurants to $30 seafood mains and stunning ocean and city skyline views. Across the water, you can see the Mirage resort built by Christopher Skase.

These two sides of the Gold Coast have never sat well with each other.

"A city like this attracts people from all over the country," says Peter Young, a Gold Coast city councillor. "They think the Gold Coast is going to be the solution to all their problems. But often those problems are exacerbated when they find they're a thousand miles away from their support networks. They arrive here without knowing anyone, they don't have a job or a place to live.

"You have people extending themselves to the limit of their survival capabilities."

The Gold Coast is home to about 500,000 people. Another 25,000 move there each year. Usually the latter statistic is used to trumpet either the enormous growth or the popularity of the area. What you hear less frequently is that roughly half that number leave every year.

Many are under no illusions - they come for the work, even if much of it is only temporary. The Gold Coast attracts a transient workforce of hotel staff, bartenders, waiters and dancers.

The Gold Coast is all about three things: greed, money and power. BJ, homeless man, and it isn't a cheap place to live. A Gold Coast City Council study found rents were about 15 per cent higher than for the rest of Australia. Overall, it's an environment that does not lend itself to permanent, stable jobs.

It's a hard reality for those who arrive with stars in their eyes, lured by opportunity, 300 days of sunshine each year and the area's reputation as the holiday playground of the nation. Many leave with stories of how the glitter strip broke its promise of a better life. Some never leave; they become trapped.

BJ has lived in Europe and up and down the east coast of Australia. He can't remember why he moved to the Gold Coast 12 years ago. He has driven cabs, worked in a storeroom and done other odd jobs. In the past four years, he has found it harder to keep a job and now lives on the streets, one of an estimated 3000 homeless people. It was something vague that brought him to the Gold Coast, a certain optimism.

Earlier this year, though, he watched from a distance one night as a homeless man was set on fire, and a friend was beaten with a steel grate.

"If someone gave me $1000 today, I'd be on the first plane out of here," he says one Saturday night, sipping coffee from the Rosie's Youth Mission van. "There's a big effort that goes into making it look respectable on the outside, when on the inside it's not. The Gold Coast is all about three things: greed, money and power. If you haven't got that you won't last long."

On this evening, clubs in nightlife spot Orchid Avenue are heaving. Revellers are lining up for entry and noise is everywhere. Strip joint spruikers, mostly young women, flirt with passing men. It doesn't matter that most already have female company.

Stand still long enough and people start talking to you - it's hard to know whether to believe the doorman at one club who says he has just come from a beating meted out to a patron found carrying the so-called date-rape drug Rohypnol.

That was in Surfers Paradise, the vibrant heart of the Gold Coast, and the locals know to stay away. "It's seen as a no-go area," says Paul Wilson, chair of criminology at Bond University on the Gold Coast. "The great tragedy of Surfers Paradise is that no one seems to know what to do about it . . . There hasn't been any consistent strategic plan for the area and it's showing."

Wilson says the Gold Coast, almost by its very nature, attracts crime. The motel murder was the second killing that week.

On the tourist strip, people let their guard down and drink heavily. Violent clashes inside and outside the clubs are common, leading to a controversial State Government crackdown. Since mid-year, revellers have been barred from entering nightclubs after 3am, and clubs close at 5am. It has been a controversial step, but it's hard to argue with the results: emergency calls for ambulances have dropped 66 per cent since the lock-out was introduced.

There is a high rate of crime against property, too. The well-off retirees who migrate north in their thousands from Sydney and Melbourne make easy targets for burglars. There are also the pick-pockets and con artists. A common scam uncovered recently involves charging Asian visitors up to $100 to go to the beach.

Then there is the big problem: drugs. Drug rings are run by local syndicates and big outfits from interstate. "There's been a serious drug culture here for years," Wilson says. "People come here to party and there is a supply culture, from a number of sources. I know a lawyer who gives his mobile phone number to some of the biggest-name criminals in Australia, and they ring him up while they're here if they have any trouble. The Gold Coast is just as attractive as a tourist destination to criminals as it is to non-criminals."

But it's not just the beachside glitter strip that has problems. Go inland and trouble is brewing there, too.

There are kilometres of housing estates designed by developers for maximum yield and forgotten by public transport. The fear is that some areas are turning into welfare ghettos.

Increasing population density in the region is part of one big squeeze as more and more people settle in the strip running from the Gold Coast through to Brisbane and up to Noosa.

It's not hard to find new houses, high-rise towers, roads and dams being planned for the Gold Coast. But, to some, the area's social conscience has been left out of the blueprint.

"That's something the Gold Coast is still grappling with," Councillor Peter Young says. "For years, people have come here to retire or for a new life, and in all cases, they lose their links to their extended family. That makes it more difficult to live, because the provision of social services in Queensland is already recognised as being notoriously behind other states."

But there is the start of a push to make sure that, amid the boom, the Gold Coast develops a heart and shakes its image as a flashy strip of beach populated by gold-bikini clad Meter Maids. Young and State Government officials are trying to identify gaps in the system, particularly in health and housing.

"We've had a culture in the past very focused on southerners up here on holiday, but now I think we're seeing the evolution of a more sophisticated culture," he says.

For many, the Gold Coast will never lose its aura of a land of promise where a better life in the sun is there for the taking.

David, 44, saw the sea for the first time in 1981, when he drove his Kombi van to the Gold Coast from the fly-speck NSW town of Wee Waa. He slapped a sign on the side of the van advertising for a bride. He didn't find one.

Three years ago, he left the family farm for good and returned to the Gold Coast. He sleeps on the streets now.

"I grew up thinking that if you wanted to be somewhere in life, the Gold Coast is the place," David says. "I've always had a dream that I'd meet Miss Right and get married and have kids.

"It might not have turned out like I expected it, but I feel as though I'm on track to achieve it."

herald sun - 27nov04

SCHOOLIES partied on the Gold Coast in huge numbers overnight, but caused little trouble.

With only one night to go before the official end of Queensland Schoolies Week, police reported a much bigger turnout than usual in Surfers Paradise.
They made a total of 70 arrests, but only 11 of them were genuine school leavers - nine boys and two girls, all from Queensland.

Police charged them with a variety of offences, including public nuisance, contravening a direction, public intoxication and two counts of possession of cannabis.

The police also issued 95 liquor fines - 44 to Schoolies - relating to consuming alcohol in a public place.

Those charged were served with notices to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court over the next few weeks.

A new army of Schoolies from New South Wales is expected in Surfers Paradise over the weekend, but police said most of the southern school-leavers were 18-years-old and could legally enter nightclubs and bars.

"These Schoolies are generally older and can get into licenced premises so this week was more about catering for the younger 17-year-olds," a spokeswoman said.

courier mail - 27nov04

STUDENTS celebrating schoolies' week on Sydney Harbour have been warned to party responsibly as police plan a crackdown on drugs in the area.

Marine Area Commander Terry Dalton said students attending parties on the harbour or on ocean cruises should celebrate safely.

Police would patrol the harbour and foreshores with drug detection dogs in the coming weeks, he said.

"NSW Police do not want to spoil your fun but we will not tolerate criminal behaviour," Superintendent Dalton said today.

"Anyone caught breaking the law will be charged and could very well end up with a criminal record which can have a detrimental effect on future careers."

Drug Squad Commander David Laidlaw also warned schoolies to be aware of the dangers of drink-spiking and taking drugs.

"You can have fun without taking drugs or drinking to excess and it's just not worth the risk breaking the law," he said.

"In recent months we have seen a number of drink-spiking incidents and remind students to be alert and aware of the dangers."

P&O Cruises Managing Director Gavin Smith said security on cruises had been stepped up.

"We have doubled the number of security officers on board the ship and introduced stringent new measures for the service of alcohol, such as the use of vinyl wristbands to clearly identify passengers 18 and over," he said.

"Irresponsible behaviour which jeopardises the comfort and safety of other passengers and crew will not be tolerated."

news.com.au - November 27, 2004

TWO teenagers were bashed senseless and police seized weapons from gatecrashers as schoolies celebrations erupted in violence in Victoria.

As thousands more teens set off for coastal resorts today, leaving behind anxious parents, Lorne police declared the event the most dangerous in years.

Witnesses said the bashing victims, both 18, were trying to shield female friends from a gang of older men when the violence started about 1.30am yesterday on Lorne beach.

Hampton East teenager Cameron Bell suffered a broken nose and suspected broken ribs when he was attacked from behind.

A Warrandyte teen suffered a broken nose and a possible fractured jaw.

Friends said the aggressors, a group of men in their 20s, did high-fives as their victims lay in the blood-spattered sand.

"These two guys came up and started talking to the girls. They said 'No, we don't want you'," Cameron said.

"They continued to come towards us and we said to just leave them alone.

"They started pushing us, saying 'You trying to start a fight? Come on, take us on.' We turned to walk away and they just came up and got us from behind.

"They first hit me in the back of the head and then they punched me in the nose -- now it's broken. The next thing I know, I'm on the ground being stomped on."

Cameron said he crouched in a fetal position and cradled his head when he was knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked, as several other men in their late 20s joined in.

Cameron's father, Geoff Bell, said his son had not been drinking and was a quiet and responsible teen.

"You read about things like the David Hookes thing - one punch and the man's dead," Mr Bell said.

"This is always a potential outcome of these things and that's what's really scary about these hoons. They don't realise that one kick in the wrong place and you've got a death on your hands."

Police arrived at the beach attack after being alerted by the Herald Sun.

The injured teens were taken to Lorne Community Hospital by ambulance.

Sen-Sgt Bill Matthews, of Lorne police, said this year's schoolies celebrations rated among the worst, but through no fault of the school leavers.

"We've had quite a large number of assaults reported to us this week. It's well and truly up on previous years," he said.

"This isn't the doing of the schoolies; it's the older people who come up here.

"We haven't had any problems at all, apart from noise, with the schoolies."

Sen-Sgt Matthews said many schoolies had complained to police that they felt afraid.

"A lot of them are scared at what's happening. It's very disappointing.

"We suspected something like this might happen, so we've got extra police up here. But we can't be everywhere."

Police seized a cache of weapons earlier in the week after a school leaver was threatened with a knife about 1am.

Weapons seized

A flick knife, a 20cm hunting knife, a home-made baton, a cricket bat and planks of timber and sharp-ended fence posts were among the haul confiscated from a gang.

The other victim of yesterday's attack was recuperating at home in Warrandyte last night.

Tony Barker said his son was badly shaken. "They're predators. That's how the police described them, and that's exactly what they are," Mr Barker said.

"It's absolutely shocking and I just hope they're caught and charged."

Witness Rob Swayn, 18, said the older men seemed proud of the injuries they inflicted.

He said the gatecrashers were seen around town over the past week and were known for roughing up the school leavers.

"They grabbed one of the guys and threw him on the ground. He tried to get up and then about four of them started smacking him in the face and he just fell to the ground," Mr Swayn said.

"They started laying into him and kicking him. There was this main big guy with spiky hair who was kicking this guy non-stop in the head, I reckon about five times.

"Then they started singing some song. They were walking round him singing it, chanting it at him. As they were doing it, every now and then whoever felt like it would join in and just hit him wherever."

Other friends of the victims spoke to the Herald Sun on the condition they remained anonymous, saying they feared for their safety.

Another school leaver told police he was forced to hand over his video camera to a group of outsiders on Thursday night after they threatened to bash him.

Police have charged several men from Melbourne's western suburbs and Dandenong over the weapons.

Police interviewed several witnesses to the beach attack, but have not laid charges.

the age - November 27, 2004

They blame Beer Bong Bob. It's schoolies week and the five youths in their apartment on the Gold Coast are discussing Bob as if he's a gatecrasher or a despised relative.

They point to him, out on the balcony overlooking Surfers Paradise beach, and level their accusations at him. Their daily hangovers? It's Bob's fault. That they're drunk again now? Bob.

Beer Bong Bob is a homemade contraption consisting of a large oil funnel and a black plastic tube. By fastening a thumb over the end of the tube, they can fill the funnel and shoot the contents of two beer cans, a measure of bourbon and anything else that brings the cocktail to the brim, down their throats.

Their apartment on the 21st floor looks like a small bomb has gone off in a bottle shop. The boys haven't eaten a meal in five days. One of them tried to bake a pie and was so drunk he sliced his arm open on the baking dish.

This is schoolies week, a sleepless marathon of booze, camaraderie and sexual adventure that annually sends the Gold Coast, not to mention parents around the country, into teeth-grinding anxiety.

An estimated 30,000 young people will go to the coast during schoolies. The Victorians arrive next week. But Joel and his mates aren't ready to leave.

"Schoolies is cool," says Ryan, who at 18 is technically a toolie (too old for schoolies). But not a foolie (under-age schoolies). "It's our week when we can have some fun. There's no drugs here. It's just young people enjoying themselves."

There is booze, though, and plenty of it. Joel, having had another tete-a-tete with Bob, is slurring a little and suddenly energised. "Come and meet the girls of level 4," he says.

The boys proudly open the fire cabinets on the way to the lift. They are full of empty cans and bottles, discarded fast food and dried vomit. They loudly enter the girls' apartment and are immediately told to be quiet. Several teenagers are watching the end of The OC.

"There's nobody in the streets when The OC is on," Ryan whispers. "Same with Australian Idol."

The fourth floor is as shambolic as the boys' unit. There are slabs of Bundaberg rum and cans of vodka and beer stacked near the kitchen.

"Is binge drinking when you're like sick?" asks an unsteady Claire. She has been drinking since 10am but feels fine because she's "paced" herself. "Well if binge drinking is being sick, it's totally overrated. You don't want to be sick."

Beck nods in agreement. "This is like the first time we've had so much to drink over such a long period of time," she says. "I was starting to fade today but you have to keep going because it's once in a lifetime."

It's only early at 10pm but the streets are starting to fill with largely well-behaved young people heading to the beach and its three dance party stages.

As they walk towards the glow of Surfers and the thud of music, they pass enormous numbers of police and security guards.

"You couldn't get a few metres from your building with a drink in your hand, and you'd be fined," says Ryan. "The chances of making it from here (Focus) to Surfers (about a kilometre) without getting caught is zero."

The beach crowd is building. The boys from the first floor decide to head back to the apartment. "I'm sober again," says Joel. It's time to fuel up for the night ahead.

He shakes his head. He knows what's required. "Bob," he says. "Bloody Bob."

abc
Western Australian police have today stopped more than 1,000 vehicles and charged more than 50 people heading to the state's south-west for end-of-school celebrations.

Police Inspector Jeff Willoughby says road blocks have been set up throughout the south-west to ensure school leavers are not breaking the law.

So far, the car of a p-plate driver has been impounded under the state's anti-hoon legislation, after the teenager was caught driving nearly 70 kilometres over the speed limit.

Inspector Willoughby says a series of drug, alcohol and driving-related charges have also been laid.

"There's four people that have been charged on drug-related matters alone and they're fairly serious possession charges as well," he said.

"As far as driving related offences go, you've got people without licences ,unlicensed vehicles and demerit points fines and disqualifications, etc."

abc - Friday, 26 November 2004

Dunsborough police say they have had a relatively quiet night, despite more than 600 school leavers congregating in the popular Lion's Park.

Four people were arrested, two liquor infringements were issued and 90 cautions given in relation to underage and street drinking.

Police say very little alcohol was consumed in the park and the rubbish left by revellers was far less than on Wednesday night.

Dunsborough police Sergeant Gary Lewis says police are keeping a close watch on unwanted party goers.

"This year there's been a change in the policy - last year we issued 400 tickets, this year police will be arresting anyone who's over 18 and expelling them from the area of Dunsborough or restricting them to their accommodation if the adults want to partake with the juveniles in their celebrations," he said.

herald sun - 26nov04

POLICE have praised the behaviour of schoolies after the lowest number of arrests so far at end-of-school celebrations on the Gold Coast.

Overnight, 25 people were arrested on 29 charges, police said today.
They included only four bona fide school leavers, who were charged with street offences such as being drunk and disorderly and obstructing police.

The remainder were older offenders who will face more serious charges, such as drug offences, serious assault on police and wilful damage.

All have been served with notices to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court over the next few weeks.

Superintendent Brett Pointing of Gold Coast police said most schoolies were tired after partying all week and this may have accounted for the quieter night for police.

"Their behaviour generally has been exemplary," Supt Pointing said.

"With two nights to go, we want to remind schoolies, I guess, please don't blot the copybook.

"The things you do and the decisions you make here at schoolies, if you get into trouble for them, can affect the rest of your life."

Official celebrations for Queensland school leavers end tomorrow night.

But a police spokeswoman said a further influx of school leavers from NSW was expected to begin arriving tonight.

The spokeswoman said most of the southern school leavers had turned 18 and were allowed into nightclubs, so the focus of police attention would largely switch from the beach to licensed venues.

abc - Friday, 26 November 2004

A plain-clothes police officer has helped keep a lid on any potential trouble at this week's schoolies celebrations in the Whitsundays.

Sergeant Mark Henderson says most of the school leavers have again been well behaved, with only a handful creating problems for police.

The celebrations wind up tonight with a dance party.

Sergeant Henderson says the plain clothes officer has added a new dimension to the region's policing strategy.

"Her role is to seek information and pass it back so we can have an early intervention strategy in place to deal with any problem," he said.

"It certainly helps in the policing of the event and it's certainly been successful."

news.com.au - November 26, 2004

OLDER predatory "toolies" looking to take advantage of young girls are tainting schoolies week celebrations for post-VCE revellers at Lorne.

Groups of teenage girls partying at the coastal resort yesterday told the Herald Sun they didn't feel safe after dark in the town.

One group of 10 girls, who finished their exams at Essendon's St Columba's College this month, said they made sure they were never separated on nights out.

The group, who are renting a holiday house at Lorne for a week, said the only safe way to party was together.

"I'm scared and so are my girlfriends. You just have to stick together - have fun, but you've just got to be careful," said Emily Chadwick, 17, from Essendon.

"We've got a really good group of girlfriends, we don't let anyone go home by themselves or anywhere without telling the rest of us."

Ms Chadwick said some older men acted as sexual predators and tried to prey on drunk girls.

Items had also been stolen from their holiday house.

"They don't want to sit down and have a chat or get to know you. They're after one thing -- it's just sex, sex, sex," Ms Chadwick said.

"Stuff's gone missing from our house. Some guys are really nice, but others . . .

"There's a lot of older guys hanging around the pub, and they're pretty cocky, they just go for the grab," said Melissa Ciavarella, 18, from Essendon.

Lorne police are investigating two assaults on schoolies in the town, possibly by older revellers.

courier mail - 25nov04

A FATHER of two accused of being a key figure in the importation of more than $15 million worth of ecstasy tablets was denied bail today in a Gold Coast court.

Jason Edward Brophy, 38, was charged with trafficking a dangerous drug, conspiracy to import a prohibited import and conspiracy to possess a prohibited import relating to two large seizures of ecstasy in New South Wales in the past week.

The trafficking and conspiracy charges follow the interception of a car carrying 91,800 MDMA pills near Gosford on the NSW central coast last Thursday.

Police claimed the operation prevented the ecstasy from reaching the Gold Coast a day before the start of Schoolies.

Police alleged Mr Brophy also was involved in a conspiracy to import a further 298,272 pills found in a Sydney house on Monday.

The combined value of the seizures was $15.6 million.

Opposing bail, commonwealth prosecutor Rebecca Bellamy told the Southport Magistrates Court that Mr Brophy played an organising role in the shipment and faced a possible life sentence if convicted.

"He has a very good reason to disappear considering what he's facing."

Ms Bellamy said evidence against Mr Brophy included an intercepted phone call in which he gives "an accomplice the time and place to collect the MDMA".

In the brief of evidence handed to the court, Mr Brophy was said to have lived an extremely luxurious lifestyle.

He was arrested this week after returning from Thailand.

Lawyer Chris Nyst said Mr Brophy was a father of two who owned his own roofing business and lived in a stable relationship with his wife on the Gold Coast.

He said the allegations were "bald assertions" and would be denied.

Refusing bail, Magistrate George Wilkie said the case against Mr Brophy relied on taped telephone calls which had resulted in two people being caught in possession of drugs.

Brophy is to appear again on February 15 next year.

herald sun - 25nov04

A MAN and a youth have been charged following an overnight incident in which rocks and a concrete slab were thrown through a police station window in the West Australian holiday town of Dunsborough.

A 23-year-old man had been charged with criminal damage and hindering police, while a 17-year-old youth was charged with damage, WA police said today.
The pair allegedly threw the projectiles through the police station window and the teenager then tried to crawl through the broken window, a Dunsborough police spokesman said.

"He didn't end up getting in (the broken window), but he came through the door with the police," the spokesman said.

Officers were today questioning the 17-year-old in relation to other alleged sexual offences, the spokesman said.

"We believe (the 17-year-old) was trying to get inside the police station because there were some girls inside," he said.

"One of the girls came close to being hit when the window was smashed."

The spokesman said both the 23-year-old and the youth were in Dunsborough - a popular south coast holiday venue - for end-of-school parties.

He said alcohol had been a factor in the alleged offences.

"The schoolies haven't been too bad," he said.

"We're just making sure they have a good time, safely and without damaging local property."

abc
Two youths have been arrested in the Western Australian seaside town of Dunsborough after windows and a surveillance camera at the local police station were smashed.

About 500 school leavers gathered in a park in the south-west town last night.

Dunsborough police say a shop-front window was smashed and after a 23-year-old man was arrested, his friends set upon the police station.

A 17-year-old was later arrested for criminal damage.

Both youths are scheduled to appear in the Busselton Magistrates Court.

yourguide - Thursday, 25 November 2004

VICTOR HARBOR Senior police say the attitude of schoolies was 'really good this year but it was a shame that older people preyed on younger visitors'.

Superintendent Graham Lough said it had taken significant police resources but police had coped well.

"The vast majority of trouble makers were in the older age group.

"They hang around the pubs and in the street and prey on schoolies," he said.

Senior Sergeant Peter Worth thanked the Encounter Schoolies for doing a fantastic job.

"They made our job so much easier.

"I also believe that most of the vandalism and other problems were caused by older people," he said.

"Schoolies were polite and made good use of our voluntary breath testing unit which was constantly used," he added.

The town is in cleanup mode once again following another festival which saw thousands of teenagers stay and many older people muscle in on their action.

Investigations are underway into two reports of sexual assault on teenage girls.

Police said a 16 year old and 17 year old were allegedly assaulted in separate attacks last weekend.

Police say there's no description from the first attack that happened at 12.30am on Saturday near a foreshore reserve.

The attacker in the second instance on Sunday night at about 11.30, is described as aged in his twenties, 160-165cm tall, of medium build with dark hair.

The assault happened after the man led the girl to the foreshore.

The attack ceased when other people came along.

Police have reported hundreds of people for various offences with Adelaide police backing up local officers in large numbers.

Over 130 people were reported for offences relating to drinking in the Dry Zone, traffic, drug and street offences.

Police say over 370 others were cautioned for similar offences.

There were in excess of 50 reports of property damage, violence against other people and theft.

Friday saw three arrests, 16 on Sunday, five on Sunday and Monday saw three.

Police also attended 100 complaints of noise and other disturbances.

A 20 year old Adelaide man was admitted to hospital after taking two tablets known as Red Mitsubishi ecstasy tablets.

Police said a second man consumed Red Mitsubishi but hadn't fallen ill to the knowledge of police.

Police believe that the two people bought the tablets during the Schoolies Festival.

The South Coast District Hospital admitted eight people over the weekend and Area Health Manager Mike Melino said the facility coped well.

"We opened up the Recovery area and rostered more nurses and doctors.

"Nineteen schoolies presented on Saturday and six were admitted mainly for intoxication or nausea.

"Another 24 presented on Sunday but just two were admitted.

"It certainly tailed off on Monday and Tuesday," Mr Melino said.

The City of Victor Harbor said there has been graffiti attacks, damage to a boardwalk and foul behaviour in public facilities.

"Wilful damage is down on last year," he added.

"We had a lot of vandalism with graffiti," the director of technical services Peter Bond said.

Sunday Mail - 25nov04

MORE schoolies have been arrested during end-of-year celebrations on the Gold Coast.

Police said 21 of the 36 people arrested on 40 charges last night were school leavers.

The rest were so-called toolies – older men taking advantage of the celebrations.

The charges were for minor offences ranging from public intoxication, disorderly behaviour to public nuisance and obstructing police.

All those arrested were male, with 15 of the schoolies from Queensland and six from NSW.

Police said the schoolies' crowd in Surfers Paradise numbered about 10,000.

A total of 26 fines for drinking in a public place were issued, eight of them to schoolies.

abc - Thursday, 25 November 2004

Gold Coast police last night arrested 40 people during the schoolies festival.

They say many of the offenders were school leavers.

Most were charged with public nuisance and drunk and disorderly offences.

Meanwhile, Queensland's Fair Trading Minister says schoolies should ensure they get their bond back if they have not damaged anything where they are staying.

Margaret Keech says schoolies should be present during the landlord's inspection.

"There might have been some scratches on the wall, those sorts of things that were there before they even moved in to the unit, so they need to be present when the inspection of the unit is carried out," she said.

The Australian - November 25, 2004

MORE schoolies have been arrested during end-of-year celebrations on the Gold Coast.

Police said 21 of the 36 people arrested on 40 charges last night were school leavers.

The rest were so-called toolies – older men taking advantage of the celebrations.

The charges were for minor offences ranging from public intoxication, disorderly behaviour to public nuisance and obstructing police.

All those arrested were male, with 15 of the schoolies from Queensland and six from NSW.

Police said the schoolies' crowd in Surfers Paradise numbered about 10,000.

A total of 26 fines for drinking in a public place were issued, eight of them to schoolies.

Townsville Bulletin - 25nov04

SCHOOLIES might have graduated from high school, but some could be having trouble leaving behind inter-school rivalries at Airlie Beach's Schoolies Week celebrations.

One resort, where many schoolies were staying, called police overnight on Tuesday to break up a noisy arguments between two groups of youths.
Whitsunday police officer-in-charge Senior Sergeant Mark Henderson said the argument had been resolved by the time police arrived.

Sen-Sgt Henderson said there was no evidence to identify the groups involved in the disturbance as schoolies.

He said police had also made a number of arrests in the area since the start of Schoolies Week on Sunday night.

One person, a non-schoolie, spat blood at police while being arrested for creating a public nuisance on Monday night.

Police have arrested others for public nuisance and public drunkenness offences.

"There have been some minor disturbances," he said. "In a group of 2500 kids you always expect one or two to play up.

"We have arrested a small number of youths but can't confirm if they are schoolies."

Sen-Sgt Henderson said the official day-time activities had been successful.

Meanwhile, Magnetic Island celebrations have continued without incident.

A heavy downpour of rain during Tuesday night's Full Moon Party did not deter about 500 schoolies from turning out for the party.

Townsville District Inspector Greg Strohfeldt said no schoolies had been involved in any dealings with police.

One man, who was on the island separately to schoolies celebrations, was arrested for creating a public nuisance on Tuesday night.

Insp Strohfeldt was expecting to see a large crowd of schoolies at last night's live band performances.

Official Schoolies Week celebrations end tomorrow night.

herald sun - November 25, 2004

MORE than 80 per cent of female schoolies have been physically harassed during festivities on the Gold Coast.

A Herald Sun survey found most young girls had been groped at dance parties and had had obscenities screamed at them.

Most blamed toolies or "dirty old men" who were pinching them in the dark on the beach and asking them for sex.

Thirty-nine people were arrested overnight in Surfers Paradise, only 17 of them schoolies, and 112 fines were handed out for drinking in a public place.

The survey found schoolies were spending $20 to $50 a day on top of their accommodation - most of it going on alcohol.

Most young women said having fun, spending time with friends, relaxing and shopping were their priorities - but a quarter said "getting trashed" was high on their agenda.

Female schoolies were averaging six standard drinks a day. Some were drinking up to 15.

Male schoolies were guzzling 15 to 20 drinks a day, and put sex and drinking as their highest priorities.

One in three young women said they had had sex during the week. Two said they had had sex with more than one partner.

Almost half the young men said they had had sex during the week. One 17-year-old claimed to have slept with five girls.

About a third of male schoolies had used drugs; about half used ecstasy and the rest marijuana.

Only a small portion said they bought the drugs at the event, suggesting many sneaked them through airport security.

One had been punched and six said they had been harassed by security guards at their hotels, nightclubs and on the street. But most had not had any problems.

Young men said hanging out with their mates and relaxing were also important aims for the week.

Vodka emerged as the most popular drink for girls, especially one brand for which a promotion in New South Wales was recently shut down after it was found to be giving free-drink cards to underage teens.

Young men rated rum and beer as their drinks of choice.

news.com.au - November 24, 2004

A HANGOVER is not the only danger ahead for West Australian Year 12 students, who put down their pens today and embarked on schoolies week celebrations.

Medical authorities have warned excited teenagers to be aware of the consequences of binge drinking, illegal drugs and unsafe sex, with serious injuries and even deaths recorded every year as a result of end-of-school partying.

Dr Rosanna Capolingua, from the WA branch of the Australian Medical Association, said today more than 2500 15- to 19-year-olds had been admitted to WA hospitals with alcohol-related injuries in the past four years.

Between 1998 and 2002 there were 58 alcohol-related deaths in the same age group.

"Many of these incidents occurred during end-of-school-year parties and were the result of risks being taken in the name of fun," Dr Capolingua said.

She said drug-taking and excessive alcohol consumption reduced the ability of teenagers to think clearly and make sensible decisions about their own – and their friends' – safety.

Toxicologist Dr Frank Daly, from Royal Perth Hospital, said that at this time of year he regularly treated patients suffering from alcoholic poisoning, unable to walk or talk and repeatedly vomiting.

Other types of alcohol-related injuries included car and pedestrian accidents, inter-personal violence, sexual assault and sexually-transmitted diseases.

Youngsters affected by amphetamines and derivatives such as MDMA and ecstasy were agitated, delirious, suffering chest and head pains, paranoid and sometimes psychotic, he said.

"This is a busy time of year," Dr Daly said. "There are a lot of end-of-year parties, and I don't think youngsters are aware of the significant dangers of binge drinking or drug-taking. There can be lethal complications."

Dr Capolingua said parents should talk with their children about the potential dangers of partying and how to handle difficult situations.

She also warned of predatory individuals who used schoolies' week parties to spike drinks and sexually assault teenagers.

"My message is: Don't let your guard down," she said.

The Advertiser - 24nov04
POLICE have warned schoolies on the Gold Coast not to leave drinks unattended after an empty bottle of the date-rape drug Rohypnol was found in a car.

Three men in their 20s were arrested yesterday in Surfers Paradise after they had been talking to teenagers in a car park near the schoolies' entertainment area, police said.

A empty bottle of Rohypnol was allegedly found in a car parked in Clifford Street.

The bottle allegedly contained cannabis and speed but there were no tablets of the date-rape drug.

"It just alerted police to the fact that possibly Rohypnol was around," a police spokeswoman said.

Three men were arrested on drug-related charges and were expected to appear in the Gold Coast magistrates court in the next couple of weeks.

Gold Coast superintendent Brett Pointing today warned schoolies not to leave drinks unattended while they were dancing and to seek medical advice if they felt unwell.

Last night, 39 people were arrested on 43 charges, 17 of them actual school leavers.

They were charged with disorderly behaviour, obstructing police, possession of a dangerous drug and stating a false name.

All the school leavers arrested were from Queensland and all were males.

Police last night issued 112 liquor fines, including 50 to schoolies, relating to consuming alcohol in a public place.