Schoolies Week News

One schoolie in 22 arrests

2005-11-29T00:52:00.000+10:00

The Advertiser - 29nov05

ANOTHER two people were arrested at the weekend Schoolies celebrations in Victor Harbor early yesterday morning.

This takes the total number of arrests to 22 in three days - 21 being adults rather than schoolies.
The arrests were mainly for disorderly behaviour and assaults.

A few isolated incidents of property damage have been reported including the slashing of several car tyres at the South Coast Hospital on Sunday.

One Festival tent, The BankSA Live and Loud tent, was also broken into and property damaged. Police have said they were generally happy with the crowd behaviour in the coastal town over the weekend.

About 4000 people attended the supervised Schoolies 2005 festival in Warland Reserve on Sunday night.

A huge crowd flocked to the Telstra Big tent to see the popular beat boxer Joel Turner and the Modern Day poets.

The Schoolies Festival finished last night and most young people are expected to return home today.

Day-after pill is schoolies 'safe' choice

2005-11-29T00:48:00.000+10:00

Herald Sun - 29nov05

HUNDREDS of young women are risking disease by unprotected sex during schoolies' week.

And they are flocking to chemists for the over-the-counter morning-after pill.
More than 20,000 schoolies from Victoria and NSW are celebrating in Surfers Paradise, and some pharmacists are fed up with the dozens of 17 and 18-year-olds walking through their doors every day.

One said some schoolies were only concerned about potential pregnancies, not about contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Research by Victorian hospitals has shown the rate of STIs in Australia has tripled over the past five years.

Centro Chemist, in the heart of the schoolies precinct, has been handing out morning-after pills regularly since celebrations began on the Gold Coast 11 days ago.

"It goes with the territory," pharmacist Jane said.

"Now that it is so accessible, the schoolies are just treating it like another contraceptive."

Before Australia-wide laws allowing over-the-counter sale of the emergency contraception were passed in January last year, only doctors were able to prescribe it.

Today schoolies pay $31.95 for the pill, which is at least $20 less than the cost of seeing a doctor.

Jane said many of the young women had already taken the pill at least once before.

"It is amazing how many of them are using it as a constant contraceptive," she said.

Jane said it was frustrating for health professionals to see teenagers putting themselves at risk of catching an STI.

"All we can do is advise them to use condoms," she said.

A Day and Night Pharmacy employee said more than 150 schoolies had asked for the morning-after pill from its central Surfers Paradise chemist in the past week.

"It really annoys me when I tell them that they should be using condoms and they just shrug their shoulders," the woman said.

Director of the Centre for Adolescent Health at the Royal Children's Hospital, Prof Susan Sawyer, said she was not surprised by the widespread use of the pill.

"We know that one in four young people having sex are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, so we understand that schoolies' week is a challenging time for them and there will be a lot of unplanned sex," Prof Sawyer said.

But she said the popularity of the morning-after pill among schoolies was a positive sign teenagers were looking after themselves.

"It is a good thing that the schoolies are seeking emergency contraception in terms of reducing the risk of unplanned pregnancy.

"But we hope that taking the morning-after pill is a step towards more reliable contraception, especially condoms."

Schoolies 'brawler' banned

2005-11-29T00:46:00.000+10:00

Courier Mail - 29nov05

AN alleged serial Schoolies brawler has been banned from returning to Surfers Paradise after being arrested for the third night in a row.

Southport magistrate Catherine Pirie yesterday ordered 17-year-old Adam James Pluta to stay away from Schoolies celebrations for the rest of the event.
Pluta was charged with causing a public nuisance after allegedly attempting to start a fight with a fellow Schoolies reveller who was dancing with his estranged girlfriend.

It was Pluta's second Schoolies-related court appearance in three days. On Saturday he pleaded guilty to charges of common assault and assault occasioning bodily harm and was fined $2050.

That same evening television crews filmed Pluta being arrested on the beach for further alleged offences.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jim Pedlow said Pluta was a repeat offender who should not be allowed back into Surfers Paradise.

"He was arrested every night for three nights, and was previously warned by police," Sgt Pedlow said.

"He was seen with his fists raised . . . he constantly stated that he wanted to smash the other person."

Ms Pirie released Pluta on bail until December 9 on the condition that he "not attend Surfers Paradise".

However, Pluta loudly objected to the condition and insisted he had a right to continue partying.

"It's my Schoolies year. I was trying to have a good time," said Pluta, an apprentice renderer from Southport.

School leavers from southern states will continue to celebrate their Schoolies Week until Friday night.

The official 10-day beachfront entertainment program ended on Sunday night, and schoolies are now expected to retreat to nightclubs to find entertainment.

Police have been kept far busier in the second week of Schoolies, with a higher number of arrests of both school leavers and gatecrashers at the weekend.

Late schoolies put faith in power of three

2005-11-29T00:45:00.000+10:00

The Age - November 29, 2005

GOOD things come in threes for this group of Victorian teenagers, who have made a schoolies' week pledge to play it safe during their Gold Coast celebrations.

Under their self-imposed rules, these graduates of Eltham's Catholic Ladies College have decided they will only go out in groups of three to minimise the risk of danger.

"We know the risks, it's an issue that we've thought about," said Emma Lanza, 18. "But this (schoolies week) is something we've been looking forward to for ages … and we're just going to stay together and be careful."

The group's arrival in Queensland on Sunday came as the official Gold Coast Schoolies' Week Festival wound up. Queensland police reported that arrests had risen over the 10-day period but congratulated schoolies for their overall behaviour.

There were 466 arrests, of which 122 were schoolies revellers, up from 418 last year when 103 of them were schoolies.

In the Victorian hot spots along the surf coast, police said there had been a number of assaults in Lorne, including one in which a victim suffered a broken jaw, but that Torquay had been relatively crime-free.

Toby Medhurst, youth services team leader for the Surf Coast Shire, said schoolies numbers had been down. Negative publicity about violence in the past may have deterred visitors. But he said an increased police presence in the region, with extra undercover officers, meant Lorne and Torquay were safer for schoolies than in previous years.

Meanwhile, on the Mornington Peninsula, police said there appeared to be more young people this year, but that bad behaviour had been similar to previous school holidays.

"School holidays are a period when you get deliberate acts of criminal vandalism and wanton crime," said Detective Senior Constable Alan Dickinson of the Rosebud criminal investigation unit.

He said many tended to head for a holiday resort, but they seemed to leave their manners and respect somewhere back in Melbourne.

Incidents at the weekend attributed to young people included setting fire to bins and a fence at Sorrento, under-age drinking in Rye and the vandalising of a tennis court in West Rosebud.

Schoolies well behaved, say police

2005-11-29T00:42:00.000+10:00

The Age - November 28, 2005

Police are reporting a general drop in the number of arrests and crimes associated with school-leaver celebrations at Victoria's Surf Coast compared to last year.

As the celebrations enter their second week, Sergeant Brian McKiterick said the Surf Coast, the most popular schoolies' destination, was "relatively quiet compared to last year".

The officer-in-charge of the Torquay police station said the overall number of schoolies was down about 30 per cent. The number of arrests and reported crimes were also less than last year.

"Overall I would say that they (schoolies) are generally more mature in their outlook compared to other years."

Official figures on the exact numbers of arrests will not be available until after the schoolies' period.

Sgt McKiterick said while there were a "handful" of assaults reported in Lorne. These were fewer in number and "less severe" than previous years.

"There are groups of schoolies involved in altercations with other groups of schoolies and there are unfortunately non-school leavers also involved."

But he said historically the second week of annual end of school holiday period saw more incidents as a larger number of schoolies descended on the region.

"Certainly if things keep going the way they have then we should have a relatively quiet schoolies period, but we do have another two weeks to go and traditionally we have more incidents during the second week."

He said there would continue to be an increased police presence in the towns of Torquay, Angelsea and Lorne until the official end of the schoolies period on December 9.

Organisers stand by schoolies strategies

2005-11-29T00:41:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Monday, 28 November 2005.

Organisers have defended the effectiveness of strategies designed to manage behaviour at this year's school leavers celebrations.

Dozens of people were arrested at the weekend in Dunsborough, in south-west Western Australia, and more than 100 people have also been issued with liquor and traffic infringements.

South-west leavers coordinator Rance Driscoll has denied claims that special activities, including a designated leavers only zone, have failed to control antisocial behaviour.

But he admits changes will need to be made before next year's celebrations.

"The basic ideas are there. The issues that need to be looked at is about where it gets done, how the scale is operated and how it's resourced," he said.

"They all need to be looked at in terms of the review that will take place in December or January."

Police say while most school leavers have been well behaved, they are concerned by the growing number of older people attending celebrations.

Police Commissioner Karl O'Callaghan says most of those arrested at the weekend have been adults.

"The leavers basically have been behaving themselves. We've issued a few liquor infringements and some move on notices, but generally the school leavers' behaviour has been pretty good," he said.

"We've been concerned by some of the adults, they've been mixing with and we've been taking a hard line with them."

Schoolies arrests mount on Gold Coast

2005-11-29T00:39:00.000+10:00

aap - 28/11/2005
Police arrested almost 60 people overnight as school-leaver celebrations wound down on the Gold Coast.

Despite thousands of NSW and Victorian schoolies flooding the Gold Coast for end-of-school celebrations, police said of the 58 people arrested on 60 charges last night, only 22 were schoolies.

Police said most of the charges related to public nuisance and public intoxication.

Crowd numbers on the tourist strip last night were estimated at 6,500.

Gold Coast District Superintendent Brett Pointing said today marked the conclusion of the official Gold Coast Schoolies Week Festival.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate schoolies on their overall behaviour over the 10 days," he said.

"Although the official period of Schoolies Week is now complete, police will continue to maintain a highly visible presence in the Surfers Paradise CBD to ensure the safety and welfare of all people in the area."

More arrests as Schoolies festival ends

2005-11-29T00:37:00.000+10:00

aap - 28/11/2005

Police arrested almost 60 people overnight as school-leaver celebrations wound down on the Gold Coast.

Despite thousands of NSW and Victorian schoolies flooding the Gold Coast for end-of-school celebrations, police said of the 58 people arrested on 60 charges on Sunday night, only 22 were schoolies.

Police said most of the charges related to public nuisance and public intoxication.

Crowd numbers on the tourist strip on Sunday night were estimated at 6,500.

Gold Coast District Superintendent Brett Pointing said today marked the conclusion of the official Gold Coast Schoolies Week Festival.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate schoolies on their overall behaviour over the 10 days," he said.

"Although the official period of Schoolies Week is now complete, police will continue to maintain a highly visible presence in the Surfers Paradise CBD to ensure the safety and welfare of all people in the area."

Drunk girls all the rage

2005-11-29T00:35:00.000+10:00

Herald Sun - 28nov05

CONSTANT binge drinking among young women celebrating schoolies week in Surfers Paradise has led to a number of fights and medical conditions in the past week.

A Herald Sun survey of 70 schoolies in Surfers Paradise and Byron Bay found almost a third of females aged 17-18 were consuming an average 10 standard drinks a day.
Almost all respondents had been drinking vodka, and one 18-year-old admitted drinking almost a whole bottle one night.

More than 30 per cent said they'd been drunk at least five times during the week. The survey also revealed:

MORE than 50 per cent of male schoolies are drinking 15 standard drinks or more each day, with most choosing beer.

ONLY 3 per cent of females had been physically or verbally harassed by toolies or other schoolies, with one reporting she had been spat at by unfriendly locals, and another saying she had been groped.

MORE than 80 per cent said either themselves or someone they knew had been using a fake ID to get into licensed venues.

A crowd of 200 and local camera crews in the Surfers Paradise schoolies precinct watched as two girls tore at each other's hair and threw each other to the ground one night last week.

In the wake of the incident, a Queensland Ambulance officer told the Gold Coast Bulletin at least 60 per cent of schoolies treated were female.

Surfers Paradise SES group leader Noel Scott has been working alongside ambulance staff at their temporary beach-front medical station, set up especially for schoolies.

"There have been quite a few girls in here," Mr Scott said. "There certainly is a fair bit of binge drinking going on."

Mr Scott told the Herald Sun of one female schoolie he attended to on Wednesday afternoon.

"She came in and told us she had 12 drinks the night before and now she felt dizzy," he said.

"Then she told us she had never had a drink before that night.

"It all comes back to the fact they're not experienced drinkers and do not know how to handle it."

But he praised the behaviour of most schoolies.

Queensland police arrested 89 people on Saturday night as up to 10,000 school leavers flooded the Gold Coast for their first night of schoolies celebrations.

Of the 89, only 17 were schoolies, mostly from NSW, police said.

58 arrests at schoolies

2005-11-29T00:34:00.000+10:00

aap - 28nov05

POLICE arrested almost 60 people overnight as school-leaver celebrations wound down on the Gold Coast.

Despite thousands of New South Wales and Victorian schoolies flooding the Gold Coast for end-of-school celebrations, police said of the 58 people arrested on 60 charges last night, only 22 were schoolies.
Police said most of the charges related to public nuisance and public intoxication.

Crowd numbers on the tourist strip last night were estimated at 6500.

Gold Coast District Superintendent Brett Pointing said today marked the conclusion of the official Gold Coast Schoolies Week Festival.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate schoolies on their overall behaviour over the 10 days," he said.

"Although the official period of Schoolies Week is now complete, police will continue to maintain a highly visible presence in the Surfers Paradise CBD to ensure the safety and welfare of all people in the area."

Schoolies trouble nationwide

2005-11-29T00:32:00.000+10:00

Border Mail
QUEENSLAND police were bracing last night for yet another night of excess after heavy rain kept interstate schoolies off the streets of the Gold Coast yesterday.

On Saturday night, 89 people were arrested as thousands of NSW and Victorian schoolies flooded into the Gold Coast for their first night of celebrations.

Of the 89 people arrested on Saturday, 17 were schoolies, who were mostly from interstate.

Ninety-five charges, mostly related to public nuisance and drunkenness, arose from the arrests.

Elsewhere, adults dubbed “toolies” have marred end-of-year celebrations for thousands of South Australian high school revellers.

Police on Saturday night arrested nine people for behavioural offences at Victor Harbor.

About 6000 students arrived at the seaside township on Friday night, during which police made about 11 arrests.

“The arrests were not all school leavers and mainly adults for disorderly behaviour and minor assaults,” South Australian police spokesman Colin Haigh said.

In Western Australia, dozens of youngsters were arrested and cautioned for drinking and unruly behaviour as schoolies celebrated over the weekend.

Despite the best efforts of police, including warnings parents would be contacted day or night to collect rowdy youths and alcohol-free “leavers-only zones” in Dunsborough, in the states southwest, trouble has still erupted.

There one youth was arrested after headbutting a police horse.

Police also discovered crystal methylamphetamine being used.

Banned after three strikes in three days

2005-11-29T00:27:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 29Nov05

A MAGISTRATE has banned a schoolie from going to Surfers Paradise after he was arrested three times at the festival.

Adam James Pluta, 17, of Southport, was ordered to stay away from Schoolies in Surfers Paradise when he faced the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday charged with being a public nuisance.

Police say it could be the first time a court has banned a schoolie from the school leavers' festival.

The condition of the teenager's bail was requested by police prosecutor Sergeant Jim Pedlow who said Mr Pluta had been 'arrested every night over three nights' at Schoolies.

Mr Pluta had also been warned by police to change his behaviour on several occasions.

"He has been aggressive to others and said he wanted to fight them," Sgt Pedlow told the court.

He said on Saturday night Mr Pluta took off his shirt and 'thumped his chest with his fists' and said he 'wanted to smash' another person.

He was put in custody and charged with committing a public nuisance.

Yesterday, Mr Pluta entered no plea to the charge and asked for bail.

Sergeant Pedlow did not oppose Mr Pluta's application for bail but asked that the court impose a condition he not go to the Schoolies precinct.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie agreed, saying she believed that this would be appropriate.

She said Mr Pluta had faced court on Saturday and pleaded guilty to assault occasioning bodily harm and common assault.

She said he had been fined $1750 and ordered to pay $250 to his victim.

"That's two grand for the weekend," she said.

Sgt Pedlow said the amount of the fine could indicate how serious his offending at Schoolies had been and said the weekend court appearance strengthened his argument.

Mr Pluta objected to being banned from Schoolies, telling the court police had arrested the wrong person.

"I was wearing a bandanna. There were about 100 people wearing bandannas," he said.

"This big guy comes out of nowhere, I said 'let's go' and I punched myself in the face, I got arrested for punching myself.

"It's my Schoolies this year I did nothing wrong."

Mrs Pirie told Mr Pluta his story had not changed her mind.

He was ordered to return to court on December 9.

After being released from Southport watchhouse Mr Pluta, who said he worked as a renderer, said banning him from Schoolies was 'bullshit'.

But he admitted he had been violent at Schoolies.

"I slapped my girlfriend in the face," he said.

"I'm not a nuisance."

Gold Coast district police superintendent Brett Pointing said the court's decision was appropriate.

"We applaud that step because it removes repeat troublemakers from the precinct," he said.

"This is an example of how behaviour at Schoolies can impact and young people need to be aware of the consequences of their actions."

Girls just want to have fun ...

2005-11-28T01:24:00.000+10:00

Sunshine Coast Daily - 27.11.2005

By Peter Gardiner NOT for these Schoolies the all-night rave scene that attracts their Gold Coast counterparts like moths to a brightly destructive flame.
For Angela Pfeffer and friends, their idea of the time of their lives at Schoolies Week was a laidback beach party in the company of friends, playing late night ¡§tig¡¨ and a moonlit swim.

¡§I really love walking along the beach just taking it all in,¡¨ Angela said as she and her four Concordia College mates from Toowoomba checked out of the Mylos apartments at Alexandra Headland yesterday morning.

And perhaps unlike some of the Schoolies revellers on the Gold Coast, the girls had no trouble getting their $110 weekly bond back.

The modest amount of the surety against damage suggests the level of trust local Schoolies have built up in recent years as the worst elements of Schoolies Week run wild at Surfers Paradise.
¡§We specifically chose the Sunshine Coast because it would be more laid back,¡¨ Angela said.

She said they had enjoyed themselvesƒ|...ƒ|often through into the small hours of the night without going overboard.

College mate Sam Borchardt said he had a really good time mixing socially on the ¡§Sunny Coast¡¨ without any hassles. ¡§I enjoyed most being with my friends and meeting lots of new people.¡¨

And while Sam was keen to eventually begin a career in diesel mechanics, Angela contemplated a future as a drama student.

But for now they and their party of 20 are role models for others to follow.

Police and Schoolies Week events organiser Mark Hollis said school leavers were exceptionally well behaved this year. There were crowds of up to 1000 at the organised dance events and no major bouts of misbehaviour.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said the call-outs to the Mooloolaba party zones were nothing out of the ordinary.

Southern cousins in double trouble

2005-11-28T01:22:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 28Nov05

NSW schoolies made a worse start to their celebrations than their younger Queensland counterparts over the weekend.

Seventeen schoolies from NSW were charged on Saturday night from a total of 89 arrests, as 20,000 southerners arrived in the party precinct and the Queenslanders moved on. In contrast, nine Queensland schoolies were detained among 65 arrests on their opening night.

Confusion over Queensland's public drinking laws has been identified as the reason for the record 206 alcohol fines on Saturday.

NSW schoolies accounted for 99 of the tickets handed out by police and officers from Queensland's Liquor Licensing Division.

In keeping with the previous week, public nuisance and drunk and disorderly accounted for the bulk of the arrests.

Gold Coast district police superintendent Brett Pointing said 20 to 30 people would be arrested in Surfers Paradise on an average Saturday night.

Supt Pointing said interstate schoolies had learned a sharp lesson about Queensland's drinking laws.

"Saturday night was a very timely reminder for schoolies from NSW that Queensland has slightly different laws to some parts of NSW in regards to drinking in public," he said.

"You cannot drink in a public place in Queensland. We have to educate people who come here about our laws."

There were also four people arrested on Saturday for possessing small amounts of cannabis.

According to Drug Arm Australasia, managers of the Schoolies precinct's Recharge Zone, 15 per cent of schoolies will take marijuana at the festival.

On Friday night ambulance officers took a schoolie, who had taken a drug overdose at an Orchid Avenue apartment, to hospital.

The interstate schoolies brought a cosmopolitan feel to the event on Saturday night. While many girls from Queensland wore tank tops and thongs last week, the older southerners wore heels and designer dresses in order to enjoy the Gold Coast's revered night life.

Despite the discrepancy in infringements and arrests, Supt Pointing has commended the behaviour of schoolies during the festival.

The event has improved since the incident-marred Schoolies Festival of 2002.

"The public safety model in place today minimises a lot of the risks," he said.

Toolies older males who have returned to the event have accounted for 75 per cent of arrests during the event.

Schoolies wind up party

2005-11-28T01:18:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 28nov05

THEY came, they saw and, oh boy, did they have a good time.

Schoolies' revellers lapped up the party atmosphere on Magnetic Island at the weekend, some stumbling off ferries yesterday bleary eyed, others skipping away sporting smiles a mile wide.
They came from far and wide, but mostly they were from Townsville, the Atherton Tablelands and Charters Towers, using the opportunity to celebrate Schoolies Week in a picturesque setting and meet fellow North Queenslanders about to make the huge step into the big, wide world.

Police earlier reported this year's schoolies crowd as 'the best for years'.

Marybeth Hartin, 18, Megan Napier, 17, and Cassandra Ryan, 17, from Malanda celebrated the end of 13 years of schooling in style, renting a unit in Arcadia.

The girls gave the Magnetic Island Schoolies experience a nine out of 10, mainly for the great weather and scenery.

Events throughout the week were supervised and sponsored by police, Townsville City Council, the Department of Communities, Department of Health, Alcohol Tobacco and Other Drugs Service, Queensland Ambulance, Magnetic Island businesses and other organisations.

There was even a team of volunteers the schoolies nicknamed 'red froggers' who handed out red lollies and checked on the welfare of schoolies.

"The red froggers did a great job of looking after everyone," Ms Napier said.

"The police were a bit mean. But I guess they were just doing their job. We got told to turn our music down and couldn't hear it anymore."

Police reported minor noise complaints during the week-long event, but said before the weekend they were very happy about the behaviour of the revellers.

Shannon Butler, 16, from Kirwan High said while Magnetic Island may not attract the same crowd numbers as the Gold Coast, the attraction of the island was its quietness and the diversity of activities available.

"I'd give Maggie a seven out of 10," Ms Butler said.

"It isn't a big party, it's more of a holiday, and that's what I like.

"I went to Airlie Beach and it was a bit boring because there's nothing to do there besides go to the lagoon, but on Maggie there are all the bays."

Micaela Moore, 17, from Pimlico High said she and her friends were a little disappointed by the lack of school leavers partying on the island on Saturday night, but they were content to just relax and soak up the sun.

"We veged out the whole time, we were really lazy," Ms Moore said.

"We had fun, but we didn't exactly party."

Schoolies enter second week

2005-11-28T01:16:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 27nov05

QUEENSLAND police arrested 89 people last night as thousands of New South Wales school leavers flooded the Gold Coast for their first night of schoolies celebrations.

Of the 89 people arrested, only 17 were schoolies, who were mostly from NSW, police said today.
A total of 95 charges, mostly related to public nuisance and public intoxication, arose from the arrests.

Police estimated between 8,000 to 10,000 people converged on Surfers Paradise for the annual event last night, but said significantly more schoolies aged 18 and over accessed the nightclubs.

Police also issued 206 liquor fines last night – 99 of those to schoolies.

Gold Coast District Officer Superintendent Brett Pointing described last night's celebrations as "relatively unproblematic" and praised schoolies' overall behaviour.

"We urge schoolies to enjoy their time on the Gold Coast, party safe, party with your mates not strangers and go home with fond memories of Schoolies 2005," Supt Pointing said.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today said he was also pleased with the schoolies festivities.

Mr Beattie said while he has yet to see a final police report on Queensland school leavers' behaviour, this year's event seemed no more violent than previous ones.

"Look, no event like this is perfect and of course there were problems here and there but generally, overall it went well," Mr Beattie said on ABC radio.

"Overall the police are generally happy, the organisers are."

NSW schoolies are set to party on the Gold Coast all of this week.

Their Queensland counterparts finished a week of celebrations yesterday.

Police have attributed most of the arrests during the celebrations to older revellers.

Schoolie bashing can't spoil Victor's party fun

2005-11-28T01:15:00.000+10:00

The Advertiser - 28nov05

THE bashing of a school leaver by a gang of "toolies" has marred a successful weekend of schoolies celebrations at Victor Harbor.

Simon Wegener, 18, of Angle Vale, will spend the rest of his schoolies week in the Flinders Medical Centre, recovering from injuries suffered when he was assaulted by a group of seven adults.
The assault was the only serious blemish related to the celebration, where thousands of young people enjoyed themselves.

Mr Wegener and two friends, Sam Montgomerie and Matthew Brooks, both 18, were walking into Victor Harbor about 9pm on Saturday when a fight broke out on the corner of Victoria Rd and Bay Rd.

"We walked past this group of people and a comment was taken the wrong way," Mr Wegener said.

"We were about 200m down the road when about seven guys caught up to us and before we knew it, we were all on the deck."

Mr Wegener suffered a broken cheek, broken nose, swelling and bruising. He will undergo surgery and is expected to remain in hospital until at least Thursday.

The behaviour of so-called "toolies", older people who crash schoolies events, has been a problem again this year in Victor Harbor as 6000 school leavers wind down.

On the Gold Coast, up to 10,000 people converged on Surfers Paradise on Saturday night for the country's biggest schoolies festival, where police arrested 89 people, but only 17 were schoolies.

From his hospital bed in Adelaide yesterday, Mr Wegener said: "There were six big guys on to the three of us and they were punching and kicking me in the head," Mr Wegener said.

The fight ended when an ambulance crew approached the scene and the seven men ran off. Mr Wegener was taken to Victor Harbor hospital then transferred to Flinders Medical Centre. Mr Montgomerie and Mr Brooks suffered minor injuries. Police had arrested 20 people in the town since Friday, mostly adults.

Superintendent Michael Cornish said police were generally pleased with the behaviour of school leavers. He said police were investigating an alleged sexual assault involving two people who were not part of the schoolies festivities.

Various incidents of vandalism, including broken windows, were reported, but Victor Harbor Mayor Scott Schubert was pleased.

"I would say it has improved about 1000 per cent," he said.

Woman raped at schoolies party

2005-11-27T17:50:00.000+10:00

AAP - November 27, 2005

A 19-year-old woman has been sexually assaulted during end-of-year schoolies celebrations south of Adelaide.

Police allege the woman was raped by a man early this morning after leaving a party in the popular seaside town of Victor Harbor.
"The (alleged) rape is not a stranger-related matter," said Superintendent Michael Cornish from South Coast police.

"The offender was known to the woman."

Supt Cornish said the woman was initially reluctant to report the matter to police but several of her friends notified authorities about 4.40am (CDT) today.

More than 6000 revellers have flocked to Victor Harbor for the schoolies celebrations with a total of 20 people being arrested for behavioural offences since Friday.

"Overall, we are quite pleased with the behaviour of schoolies and the many other people that have come down for the festivities," Supt Cornish said.
One of the worst incidents so far involved a large brawl of up to 20 youths in Victor Harbor about 9.30pm (CST) yesterday, but no one was badly hurt and no arrests were made.

"Three male youths were assaulted by seven other males – the victims suffered non life-threatening injuries," he said.

In another incident, a security car was allegedly overturned by a group of teenagers, causing up to $3000 damage.

Most celebrations have been around the grassed area of the Crown Hotel in the main street of Victor Harbor.

"We've really had no major incidents near the hotel and crowds have been a little down on previous years," said Crown Hotel manager Tristan Kay.

"It's probably the best behaviour at schoolies we've had for a few years."

Beattie pleased with Schoolies festival

2005-11-27T17:49:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Sunday, 27 November 2005.
Schoolies from New South Wales have arrived in Surfers Paradise (file photo).ABC
The Queensland Premier says he is pleased with this year's Schoolies festival on the Gold Coast.

The end of school event wrapped up for Queensland school leavers yesterday, with Schoolies from New South Wales flooding to Surfers Paradise yesterday.

Last night 89 people were arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour and being a public nuisance.

Seventeen of them were Schoolies.

Peter Beattie says he has not seen the final police report for the week, but says this year's event was no more violent than previous years.

"Look no event like this is perfect and of course there were problems here and there," he said.

"But generally, overall it went well.

"Overall the police are generally happy, the organisers are."

"Toolies" spoil it for the kids

2005-11-27T17:46:00.000+10:00

aap - 27nov05

ADULTS dubbed "toolies" have marred end-of-year celebrations for thousands of South Australian high school revellers.

Police last night arrested nine people for behavioural offences at Victor Harbor, a popular schoolies venue located on Adelaide's south coast.
In a smaller version of the popular Gold Coast schoolies festival, about 6,000 students arrived at the seaside township on Friday night, during which police made about 11 arrests.

"The arrests were not all school leavers and mainly adults for disorderly behaviour and minor assaults," police spokesman Colin Haigh said.

Local residents say about 100 extra police had been sent to the town to cope with the large influx of adults who are involved in the school celebrations this year.

One of the worst incidents so far involved a large brawl of up to 20 youths, however no one was seriously injured or arrested.

In another incident, a security car was allegedly overturned by a group of teenagers, causing up to $3,000 damage.

Most of the celebrations have been centred around the lawned area of the Crown Hotel in the main street of Victor Harbor.

"We've really had no major incidents near the hotel and crowds have been a little down on previous years," said Crown Hotel manager Tristan Kay.

"It's probably the best behaviour at schoolies we've had for a few years."

To ensure the safety of revellers, more than 350 volunteers are involved in this year's celebrations and a 24-hour cafe has been set up as a refuge from other activities.

Meanwhile, the local South Coast Health Service has rostered on extra staff including several with previous experience of Schoolies celebrations and with expertise in drug-related issues.

Extra beds have also been provided at the hospital.

Schoolies celebrations will continue until Friday.

Schoolies enter second week

2005-11-27T17:45:00.000+10:00

aap - 27nov05

QUEENSLAND police arrested 89 people last night as thousands of New South Wales school leavers flooded the Gold Coast for their first night of schoolies celebrations.

Of the 89 people arrested, only 17 were schoolies, who were mostly from NSW, police said today.
A total of 95 charges, mostly related to public nuisance and public intoxication, arose from the arrests.

Police estimated between 8,000 to 10,000 people converged on Surfers Paradise for the annual event last night, but said significantly more schoolies aged 18 and over accessed the nightclubs.

Police also issued 206 liquor fines last night – 99 of those to schoolies.

Gold Coast District Officer Superintendent Brett Pointing described last night's celebrations as "relatively unproblematic" and praised schoolies' overall behaviour.

"We urge schoolies to enjoy their time on the Gold Coast, party safe, party with your mates not strangers and go home with fond memories of Schoolies 2005," Supt Pointing said.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today said he was also pleased with the schoolies festivities.

Mr Beattie said while he has yet to see a final police report on Queensland school leavers' behaviour, this year's event seemed no more violent than previous ones.

"Look, no event like this is perfect and of course there were problems here and there but generally, overall it went well," Mr Beattie said on ABC radio.

"Overall the police are generally happy, the organisers are."

NSW schoolies are set to party on the Gold Coast all of this week.

Their Queensland counterparts finished a week of celebrations yesterday.

Police have attributed most of the arrests during the celebrations to older revellers.

Girl charged over Schoolies assault

2005-11-27T17:44:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
A girl has been charged with assaulting a customer at a fast food outlet during Schoolies week celebrations at Victor Harbor, south of Adelaide.

The incident happened shortly after 9:00pm AWDT, and police say the two teenage girls knew each other, neither suffered serious injuries.

Sergeant Phil Hoff says the crowd has been otherwise well behaved.

"The crowds at Victor Harbor have been good, there's been a general spirit of bonhomie between the students, the event seems to be running well," he said.

Qld police tell southern Schoolies to behave

2005-11-27T17:43:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
Police on Queensland's Gold Coast are urging students from Victoria and New South Wales to behave during Schoolies celebrations.

The event has officially wound up for Queensland students, with police arresting 59 people overnight.

Police spokeswoman Chelsea Roffey says police will now turn their attention to the thousands of students who have arrived from the southern states.

"A majority of the arrests have involved non-schoolies, so it's fair to say on a typical weekend there'd be about 30 arrests in Surfers Paradise anyway," she said.

"I guess looking at having that increased number from Schoolies, the number of arrests haven't been too bad at all."

Schoolies run riot

2005-11-27T02:09:00.000+10:00

Sunday Times - 27nov05

POLICE and school leavers organisers are in despair after a meticulously planned schoolies week backfired in Dunsborough.

Schoolies themselves told The Sunday Times the event had become a farce, as the town's innovative attempts to control unruly revellers unravelled.
Taxpayers paid $30,000 for a fenced "leavers-only zone" on a sports ground, which supplied food, music and entertainment.

But schoolies shunned the strictly no-alcohol set up, saying it was a joke that police on horseback tried to "herd them like sheep" into the area.

It remained empty, with the volunteers the only ones inside.

The leavers instead caused mayhem. The town's roads were strewn with vomit and unused condoms, while gardens were trashed and bottles smashed.

There were several fights.

Dunsborough police officer-in-charge Ian Clarke said some leavers couldn't handle their drink and had complete disregard for others.

"We've been shaking our head all night with some of the stuff that's gone on," Sgt Clarke said.

"One offender was brought to our attention by walking up and head-butting a police horse.

"Dunsborough people have left town (for the week) because they just don't want to be here."

Sgt Clarke said this was the first leavers week in which police had discovered crystal methylamphetamine being used.

An 18-year-old man has been charged with possessing the drug, as well as ecstasy, and others were suspected of using it.

Twelve people were arrested in Dunsborough on Friday night and early yesterday, mainly for drug and assault offences.

Dunsborough Leavers Advisory Committee member Joy Cohen said it was sad that the group's effort in setting up the leavers zone had gone to waste.

"I've volunteered for the past three years and it gets more and more dangerous and more and more out of control," she said.

"It's disheartening to see that kids would rather stand in a car park and smash bottles and fight. They want the drama.

"We've worked seven days a week for six months (planning for this year's leavers). Now it's back to the drawing board."

Ms Cohen said the town did not want the revellers.

"(The students) have only one leavers, but we have to put up with this every year. The ratepayers have to fund a party they don't agree with," she said.

Police said the phenomenon of "toolies", older men who attend post-exam celebrations in the hope of having sex with 17-year-old girls, was again a major blight on Dunsborough.

"We have no tolerance for toolies. Police take a very dim view of them," Sgt Clarke said.

Meanwhile, some schoolies accused police of being harsh and heavy-handed.

A 17-year-old youth said he was arrested for street drinking while having his first beer.

"They full-on dragged me to the car," he said. "There's people there selling ecstasy and they arrest me. It's a joke."

Most Dunsborough leavers said they paid about $1000 to fund a four or five-night stay.

Toolies spoil the fun

2005-11-27T02:08:00.000+10:00

Sunday Times - 27nov05

SCHOOLIES' predators – known as toolies – are to blame for disrupting celebrations on Rottnest Island.

Sgt Paul van Noort said most trouble had been caused by youths aged 18 to 20.
"The toolies again have come to notice," he said.

"They were more prevalent last night. They come in and join the festivities, which is always a concern. We monitor them closely."

About 150 infringements and cautions for alcohol offences were issued during the first two days of leavers' week and 13 schoolies were taken to the island nursing post to sober up.

Police were disappointed that young adults who had been given responsibility for tenants in each chalet were among those being treated for alcohol abuse.

Police have evicted five people from the island, including two youths who returned on Friday after being given their marching orders a day earlier.

About 1500 schoolies are booked on the island, but plenty of burnt-out teenagers boarded ferries back to the mainland yesterday, a day earlier than they had booked.

A youth who collapsed at the Basin on Friday and was revived by friends remains in a stable condition in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital. Doctors have not yet determined what caused his collapse.

Rottnest senior ranger Chris Mather said several quokkas became sick after drinking from discarded cans of alcohol.

Playing with fire

2005-11-27T02:06:00.000+10:00

Sunday Mail - 27nov05

IT MAY have seemed like a good idea at the time – but an after-dark dash through a frenzied Schoolies crowd by these two teenagers could easily have ended in disaster.

Clad only in bikinis, the schoolgirls aged 16 and 17 paraded through the Esplanade at Surfers Paradise where up to 30,000 boozed-up schoolies partied.
Seen by The Sunday Mail, their appearance about 7.40pm last Saturday sparked a crowd surge, cheers and wolf-whistles. But when some male schoolies began groping at them, the pair fled to the beach.

Volunteers working the streets were shocked by the girls' antics.

"Those girls were putting themselves in danger. It's very silly. They might not have been thinking straight at the time," Rosies street vans manager Gary Parsons told The Sunday Mail.

He said the girls had been caught "in the moment".

"You have to imagine yourself there. It's such a buzz down there for the kids," he said.

"It's an adrenalin rush. You can lose control."

Griffith University cultural and sociology studies lecturer Felicity Grace blamed the girls' behaviour on pressure to be noticed.

"To look at those two girls, I see Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton," Dr Grace said. "They're the role models for being a girl.

"We've upped the ante on being visible and spectacularly visible.

"There is a generation now who think being famous is a career move."

But Dr Grace emphasised there needed to be some responsibility by males for their behaviour to the girls.

"At the end I think there has got to be a balance, against the girls for their behaviour and for the boys being responsible for their behaviour, too," she said.

The two girls defended their actions and denied they were ever in danger.

"I wouldn't have come out if I didn't think I felt safe," the 17-year-old said.

Her friend added: "I wouldn't come out if it was dangerous. It's just awesome. The atmosphere is so good. Everyone is partying hard."

This year's festival is fast earning a reputation as the wildest week on record, with police, paramedics and volunteers admitting they are stunned by the behaviour of schoolies and the excessive drinking.

In the past week 319 people were arrested, 82 of them schoolies.

Most were for drunkenness and public nuisance offences. There have also been reports of sexual attacks.

Ambulance officers estimate 60 per cent of the drunks they treated were young women who were "trying to keep up with the boys".

"They are having four or five shots of liqueur and then half a bottle of vodka and becoming very drunk," Queensland Ambulance Service Schoolies co-ordinator Allan Windsor said.

Another volunteer said authorities were at a loss to prevent binge drinking.

"They go hard and come out on the street. They end up spewing their guts out," he said.

"I don't know what the answer is."

Drugs have also been a problem, with some school-leavers claiming young female drug pushers were working the Esplanade and beach offering ecstasy for $35 a tablet.

A Gold Coast Hospital spokeswoman confirmed drug-affected schoolies had been treated but could not say how many.

Schoolies stoush

2005-11-27T02:05:00.000+10:00

The Advertiser - 27nov05

"TOOLIES" who prey on students have marred schoolies festivities at Victor Harbor, gatecrashing the final hurrah after a stressful final year of study.

Eleven adults – dubbed "toolies" – were arrested for behavioural offences on Friday night as a crowd of 6000 flocked to the Fleurieu Penninsula party.
Two large brawls were among the only significant schoolies incidents – one of which involved up to 20 youths.

It spilled from the footpath on to Victoria St about 1.45am yesterday morning, but no one was arrested during the fracas.

And in what is believed to be a schoolies prank, a security guard's vehicle was overturned causing $3000 damage, and a 10m length of a brick wall was smashed in at the local lawn bowls club.

Superintendent Michael Cornish, of South Coast police, said it was disappointing adults had hijacked the event, souring what was generally good behaviour by the school leavers.

"Police were generally pleased with the behaviour of students involved. Most were responsible and well-behaved," Supt Cornish said.

"Obviously we had other people in the area not directly linked to (schoolies) activities and there was offending.

"We are not happy about that and we will continue to police the area and surrounding areas."

Supt Cornish said there had been no reports of sexual assaults or drink spiking from yesterday or Friday night.

Mounted police, police on bicycles and foot patrols monitored the event searching cars and cautioning and issuing $170 expiation notices to youngsters drinking alcohol in the dry zone.

Police also visited the township's two caravan parks, the most popular haunts for schoolies.

While excessive drinking was favoured, schoolies also spoke of other vices, including drugs, but they were less prevalent.

"My car was searched by police, but they found nothing," one male teenager cheekily told the Sunday Mail.

"Yeah, the pills (ecstasy) were in my purse," his girlfriend laughed. "They didn't look there."

Despite the cool weather and gusty winds, the main street became a sea of scantily clad females, decked in mini skirts, bikini tops and rubber thongs.

Others donned skimpy school uniforms for the last time.

The message was clear from high school graduate Jordan.

"No more school, no more school," he yelled, his voice hoarse, his body swaying to the effects of his self-confessed vodka splurge.

Seaford youths Tom "T-Bone" Robertson, 18, and mate Mickey Brown, 16, said there were ways of getting around the dry zone. "We're just chillin'," Mickey said. "We had to drink in the car before we came down."

As the night wore on some rolled out swags, others camped in cars, while many walked the 2km pilgrimage to the caravan parks.

SA Ambulance South Coast area manager Paul Weise said paramedics transported two people to hospital for excessive alcohol consumption, but there were were few other issues.

"It was the quietest Friday night at schoolies in two years." he said.

Police prepare for more Schoolies arrests

2005-11-27T02:04:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
Police on the Gold Coast are bracing themselves for more arrests tonight following the arrival of thousands of Victorian and New South Wales students at the annual Schoolies celebrations.

Schoolies week has wound up for Queensland students with police arresting 59 people overnight.

Seventeen of them were school leavers.

Police spokeswoman Chelsea Roffey says Queensland Schoolies have generally been well behaved and police are hoping for a similar response from their southern counterparts.

"Over the same period last year there were 70 arrests, so I guess it's fair to say it was comparatively quiet," she said.

"But hopefully they can keep those numbers down tonight."

59 arrested at Schoolies

2005-11-27T02:02:00.000+10:00

aap - 26nov05

SCHOOLIES Week has wound up for Queensland students with police arresting 59 revellers on the Gold Coast overnight.

Although today marks the end of Queensland's Schoolies 2005, thousands of NSW and Victorian school leavers have already begun moving in for their high-charged week in the sun.
Most of arrested on what is traditionally the biggest night of the festival, face charges related to public nuisance and disorderly behaviour.

No major incidents were reported, but Gold Coast district Superintendent Brett Pointing said police were bracing themselves for more arrests tonight.

"We are appealing to everyone, schoolies and non-schoolies alike to be on their best behaviour," Superintendent Pointing said.

During the past week 319 people were arrested, 82 of them schoolies.

Last year 315 people were arrested during the festival's first week, 103 of tem schoolies.

A Gold Coast police spokeswoman said schoolies overall had been better behaved than non-school leavers this year.

Police praise SA schoolies' behaviour

2005-11-27T02:01:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
Police say they are happy with the behaviour of thousands of people at "schoolies" celebrations at Victor Harbor in South Australia overnight.

South Coast police arrested 11 people, but all were adults - otherwise known as "toolies" - who were not directly involved in the schoolies events .

Police are also investigating an apparent prank in which an unoccupied security car was overturned, causing about $3,000 damage.

They are also looking into damage at the local bowls club, where about 10 metres of fencing was knocked over.

Police say despite the property damage, the vast majority of schoolies were well-behaved.

Police praise for schoolies

2005-11-27T01:59:00.000+10:00

Geelong Info

AN 18 year old male schoolie has been assaulted and robbed after befriending two other males at Lorne.

Police said the assault occurred about 1am yesterday as the victim was accompanying the pair back to a caravan park to meet some girls.

The incident was one of only a handful in a week when thousands of young people have descended on coastal resorts.

Surf Coast Inspector Brian Fox, said coastal areas had been busier than normal, with Lorne carrying the bulk of young visitors.

He said extra police had been brought in and were maintaining a strong presence in the town.

Police have so far praised the responsible behaviour of young people, saying most incidents have been caused by older `toolies' gatecrashing celebrations.

Detective Senior Constable Michael Baker said in the latest incident one of the males asked to borrow the victim's mobile phone so he could make a call.

``The victim handed over his phone and the two males walked ahead,'' Sen-constable Baker said.

``After going a short distance the second male turned round, produced the lower half of a hockey stick and demanded money from the victim.

``He then struck the victim on the arm with the stick.''

Sen-constable Baker said the victim handed over a small amount of cash and the pair fled back towards the foreshore.

The victim suffered minor bruising to his arm in the attack.

The offenders are described as being Australian, aged 18-22 years. Both had short dark hair and were about 1.8 metres tall. One of the offenders was of slim build while the other was slightly more bulky.

It is the third assault on a schoolie at Lorne in less than a week.

In previous incidents a youth suffered a king-hit outside a Lorne Hotel on Saturday night, while a second youth received a broken jaw in an incident on the foreshore on Tuesday.

Both of those assaults are believed to have been instigated by older males.

Sen-detective Baker said in an unrelated assault, a 21 year old Airey's Inlet man was assaulted on the Lorne foreshore at about 2.30am yesterday. He sustained moderate facial injuries including a black eye.

Sen-constable Baker said the main offender was described as male, over 1.8 metres tall, of medium build with a shaved head.

Anyone with any information on either assault is asked to contact Sen-constable Baker at Torquay CIU on 5261 4514.

Rudie and a nudie pay for festival fun

2005-11-26T03:10:00.000+10:00

Archive of Gold Coast Bulletin story on 26Nov05

A MAN with 'a replica penis', a toolie without pants and two country boys playing up in the 'big smoke' of Surfers continued their Schoolies Festival fun in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday.

The teenagers pleaded guilty to being public nuisances.

Perth toolie Reid Brian McAuliffe, 19, was seen jogging down Orchid Avenue baring his buttocks at people in a taxi line on Thursday night.

He had been on a pub crawl and was told it was 'OK to get naked'. "I now know on reflection that was a stupid thing to do," he said. Outside court, he said he 'loved getting naked'.

Magistrate Terry Duroux fined him $300 and asked him if people were allowed to run around naked in Perth.

"If that's the case remind me never to go to Western Australia," he said.

Cairns school-leaver Jared Kane Buckingham also was fined $300 after he went too far with a 'replica penis.'

Police prosecutor Constable Mike Campbell said police saw the 17-year-old with a 'very life-like rubber penis' protruding from his trousers' open fly.

"He moved his hips and waved it around, horrifying a group of ladies," he said. Police confiscated the penis.

Mr Buckingham told the court the toy belonged to a group of girls, who were his friends, from Cairns.

He said they were not horrified by his behaviour but thought it was funny. Mr Duroux ordered the rubber penis be destroyed.

Toowoomba schoolies Ben George Watson and Ricki David Rathbone, both 18, went to Players Showgirls but came to the attention of security when they got drunk and tried to steal a lamp they thought 'was pretty'.

Police arrived and they began yelling and swearing.

Solicitor Jason Buckland said one of the group had 'come up with the absolutely brilliant idea to steal a lamp'. "They did raise their objections to the police in a very loud way," he said. "I would describe them as rugged outdoor men, it's just their character."

Mr Duroux told them if they played up again he would jail them.

Tallebudgera 17-year-old Patrick Neville Sharp was also busted after he deliberately slammed himself into a patrolling police officer.

Mr Buckland said Sharp had been too drunk to remember the incident.

Mr Duroux said it had been 'outrageous behaviour'.

Smoke at units creates chaos

2005-11-26T03:07:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 26Nov05

THE heart of Surfers Paradise came to a standstill for more than three hours last night after a massive fire scare at a Chevron Renaissance high rise.

Fire, police and ambulance crews were called to the 40-storey building after receiving reports of a thick cloud of smoke pouring from the windows above the 16th floor.

More than 100 people fled from their apartments as emergency service crews tried to find the fire.

Late last night, the cause of the smoke was still unknown and Energex personnel were called in to help the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.

The chaos erupted after building residents reported seeing thick smoke billowing from windows on the 16th and 17th floors.

Seven firefighting vehicles, including one aerial truck, rushed to the Elkhorn Avenue scene about 6pm.

Police cordoned off streets next to the 183-apartment building as firefighters in breathing apparatus tried to locate the fire.

Parents and friends of school-leavers staying in the building rushed to the area and used mobile phones to communicate with those on higher levels.

Traffic on Chevron Bridge crawled as police redirected cars north to the Gold Coast Highway.

Witnesses at ground level said there were reports of people trapped in lifts in the building.

Schoolie Drew Wilson, from NSW, was on the phone to his friend Michael who was trapped in a lift.

"They were trying to get down and the lift stopped," he said.

"We are here to have a good time and all hell breaks loose."

Gold Coast schoolie Alicia Russ said she had bolted from her 38th-floor room as soon as she smelt the smoke and heard the alarms.

"There was so much smoke. It was really scary," she said. "Once we saw it we decided to evacuate. We didn't want to hang around to find out how bad it was."

A Japanese visitor, who gave her name only as Noriko, headed to the building site as soon she heard the alarms, fearing her friend staying on the 21st floor was in danger.

"She asked the fireman what she should do and he said to stay calm, but I am very worried about her," said Noriko.

Resident Heather Cartledge said she smelt smoke and ran down the stairs from her 40th-floor apartment.

"I was not going to risk taking the lift. We have been living here for six months and this is the first time anything like this has happened," she said.

QFRS Gold Coast southern area manager Peter Dawson said fire crews could not afford to take any risks even though there was no sign of fire.

Gold Coast police inspector Alistair Dawson said revellers had responded to their instructions despite the chaos at the building.

20,000 new customers

2005-11-26T03:01:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 26Nov05

KINGS Cross social worker Dominic Mapstone used to walk around the Schoolies precinct, getting many offers of drugs from the nooks and crannies of Surfers Paradise.

"I'd be walking around wearing a shirt that says 'social worker' on the front," he said.

"Someone would come up and say, 'Do you want to get on?' I'd just stand there and say, 'Look at my shirt, you idiot'.

"They'd say, 'Oh, oh, are you going to tell the cops?'

"For the Queensland kids, it's so much easier to get drugs at Schoolies than to get alcohol.

"And honestly, it's easier to get drugs on the Gold Coast (during Schoolies) than it is in the Cross."

Most Queensland school-leavers are under age, forcing them to spend most of Schoolies on the streets or in their units.

Mr Mapstone, who also edits the National Schoolies Week website, said having thousands of wide-eyed, impressionable people in a densely populated area was a buffet for drug dealers.

"I wouldn't say they (dealers) are coming from interstate. More like Beenleigh and Brisbane and Logan," said Mr Mapstone, who has worked at 11 Schoolies festivals.

"In Kings Cross, whether it's US sailors or any other type of tourist, there isn't that care factor from a dealer because they're not looking for a long-term customer.

"It's the same at Schoolies.

"They think, 'All right, let's just rip everybody off and get as much money as we can'.

"And because there's a lack of interest from the dealers, there's less concern about the quality and the safety of the gear."

People should be concerned about when they take drugs, said 18-year-old Brendan from Cairns.

"If you're already drunk and you're looking for it, it doesn't really matter what's in it," he said.

"Most of the time when you're sober you'll reject it, but you don't care when you're drunk."

Police nabbed an outlaw motorcycle gang allegedly with a stockpile of drugs on the eve of Australia's biggest teenage celebration.

Police have reported fewer drug-related arrests at the festival since.

An 18-year-old man from Norman Park was arrested, allegedly in possession of 24 ecstasy tablets, in the biggest drug seizure for police this week.

It was 1am and Brendan was sitting on the sand watching the surf. Despite the recent drug haul, he said it was still easy to get drugs.

"All you have to do is ask a question. You go up to 10 people, and four of them will know something about it," he said.

"Girls seem to get it heaps easier. I don't know why. I saw some girls get offered free pot the other day."

Rhea, 17, from Brisbane, said some people preferred smoking 'weed' to drinking alcohol.

"But I know some people who can drink and take pills at the same time," she said.

For $30, school-leavers could buy an ecstasy tablet for their evening.

Last year, a joint taskforce of Queensland Liquor Licensing Division and police officers nabbed 'hundreds' at the festival for drinking in public, but this year only 48 tickets have been issued.

Reports came from the festival this year that girls were being recruited to be drug sellers at the event, breaking away from the traditional image of seedy men.

"There's stories of girls actually selling eccies this year, which is pretty bold," said Mr Mapstone.

"We're hearing a lot more about dealers actually taking the drugs to the beach.

"In previous years, you'd find the sellers on the southern approaches near Clifford Street, and up on the northern cusp of the area, but the police have been pretty good in identifying those areas."

Some sellers were particularly brazen. On Thursday night, police were looking for a short, stocky man in a hooded white jumper offering illicit substances in the bustling Cavill Avenue thoroughfare.

"One guy just came up to us and asked us if we wanted pills," said Sydneysider Joel, 18.

"He said, 'Do you want Jarmans?' I'd never heard of that before."

But Caroline Salon, a director with Drug Arm Australasia, which is running the Recharge Zone at the event, said alcohol was by far the most popular drug at the event.

"Our 2004 survey showed 80 to 85 per cent of schoolies drank alcohol," she said. "The next drug (in popularity) was cannabis, and that was 15 per cent, an enormous drop.

"About 6 per cent tried ecstasy and amphetamines, and 1 per cent tried LSD or heroin."

While Victorian and NSW school-leavers who arrive today will be old enough to enter nightclubs, Mr Mapstone said that would not deter dealers.

"If there's a market of 20,000 extra people in town, the dealers will want to be part of it," he said.

"Even if you took every single local out of the clubs, you're never going to be able to fit 20,000 people in (the licensed premises).

"The kids are generally older from the southern states and are probably willing to try a bit more."

Schoolies Week not going away

2005-11-26T02:56:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 26nov05
ANOTHER year of drugs and drinking at the Gold Coast has brought the issue of Schoolies Week into sharp focus again.

At the same time, police monitoring the event on Magnetic Island have applauded young people for their behaviour.

In Airlie Beach, another popular Schoolies haunt for North Queenslanders, police maintain they were pleased overall despite some isolated incidents of misbehaviour.

Considering the weight of numbers at the Gold Coast event, it's not difficult to understand why it continues to make headlines at this time of the year.

Combined with the expected influx of New South Wales school leavers this weekend, the coast stands little chance of hosting a trouble-free celebration.

While the merits of the annual event are still being debated, authorities have no plans to close it down.

Their argument, that school leavers will celebrate no matter what, is correct.

The provision of structured activities, complete with a strong police presence, is the best way, therefore, of approaching what can quickly become a headache for authorities.

Proposals to spread the celebration over two weeks have merit, and while the majority of school leavers do not deserve to be punished because of the actions of a few, a zero tolerance approach to criminal behaviour should be enforced.

That way, schoolies and their parents stand some chance of relaxing and enjoying what has become another rite of passage for many teenagers.

Blackout riles Schoolies revellers

2005-11-26T02:53:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 26nov05

DISGRUNTLED Schoolies took out their frustration on Tuesday night when a power blackout cancelled an organised dance party at Airlie Beach.

Senior Sergeant Mark Henderson, who co-ordinates Whitsunday Schoolie activities, said a handful of ex-students took the occurrence as a 'mini-disaster', jumping over cars in the main street, letting off fire extinguishers and pulling out a few letterboxes as they trudged back to their accommodation around the picturesque town.
He stressed that damage was minor and the result of teenage high jinks rather than outright vandalism.

The dance party was one of the major events planned for the week, with lights going out and music stopping just minutes in.

Sen-Sgt Henderson said the organising committee lost an undisclosed amount - believed to be between $10,000-$15,000 - on the hire of the venue and a band.

"At least Ergon has acted positively and has indicated that the money will be refunded. The organising committee is non-profit and anything we collected barely covered expenses and any excess would have gone towards activities for next year," he said.

Sen-Sgt Henderson said general behaviour had been exemplary with just one Schoolie arrested -- for drink-driving -- although others had been of disruptive behaviour or drinking in the streets and quit once the ramifications were explained.

"We have had the first Toolies group we have seen up here, a group of older boys who have openly declared themselves as Toolies. One of the group has been charged with assault and a couple of others for disorderly behaviour but those have been exceptions."

He said there had probably been a handful of complaints from locals about noise but added that was something to be expected when any large group got together.

"We estimate there have been about 2400-2500 Schoolies here for the week with the majority from the North, Townsville and beyond, and many from out at Hughenden and Mount Isa. A few have also come up from NSW.

"You have to expect some sort of noise when you get that many people together, we certainly do when 5000 locals turn out in the main street for the Reef Festival or the fireworks night.

"But I would really have to say this has been the best group I have seen up here in the five or six years I have been doing this job."

Sen-Sgt Henderson said the youngsters would leave behind a positive economic message.

"They have about $1000 spending money each, on top of accommodation and fares, and they soon go through that, then generally ring home and ask for more.

"But I think we need to focus on their behaviour overall rather than focus on a couple of poor incidents. Too much time is spent on bad reports from down at the Gold Coast, but up here the kids have been tremendous."

Schoolies need our protection

2005-11-26T02:46:00.000+10:00

Herald Sun Editorial - 26nov05

THE ecstasy epidemic has rolled like a wave over the schoolies on the Gold Coast beaches.

Girls their own age are being used as pushers for what has become the drug of choice for young people. These kids are not seen slumped in doorways in city lanes or shooting up in suburban parks. But they are taking what has proved to be a lethal drug.
There can be a crossover to hard drugs, such as heroin, in spite of those who take the pills saying they don't have anything to do with hard drugs.

Anyone driving around Melbourne's streets can see young ecstasy users coming out of nightclubs on any Saturday or Sunday morning.

It might be cold, it might be raining, but you will recognise the ecstasy kids because they are dressed in skimpy tank tops and sweating because ecstasy raises the temperature, physically as well as emotionally.

Ecstasy being sold to schoolies is not acceptable. Sadly, the only time the kids take notice is when someone collapses or dies and sometimes not even then.

Educating kids about drugs is just as important as prosecuting the pushers.

Drug pushers target hotels

2005-11-26T02:44:00.000+10:00

news.com.au - November 26, 2005

ECSTASY dealers are using rooms at Gold Coast hotels favoured by schoolies as drug dens, young revellers claim.

As the Herald Sun saw more than 100 drug-affected youths in the Surfers Paradise schoolies precinct early yesterday, a group of teenagers said schoolies did not need to leave the hotels to get the drug.
Schoolies are buying tablets for as little as $25 each from dealers operating out of hotels and from beach-trawling drug pushers.

Gold Coast police said ecstasy had never been more popular.

Thousands of Victorian schoolies are expected to pour into the Gold Coast from today.

Some of the 30,000 school leavers say it is easier to take a pill than risk a $225 police fine for drinking in public.

A group of schoolies who did not wish to be named said dealers were operating out of the hotel room above their own.
"Everybody knows they are there," said the girl, 17, from Brisbane.

Another school leaver said teenagers were selling drugs from the flat next door to hers.

Josh, 18, of Brisbane, said his group had bought ecstasy on the beach.

"We've been approached by people a couple of times. They offer us pills and we just take them," Josh said.

Police have been cracking down on drug dealers since schoolies began last week, but said there had been no arrests in hotels. "It is much easier to search and arrest people in possession of drugs on the street," a police spokeswoman said.

"There are certain restrictions on police going into hotels and we would need a search warrant . . . but certainly if we had enough information we would have no hesitation."

And they are applauding schoolies who are increasingly passing on information about dealers.

"A couple of drug arrests have resulted from schoolies ringing us, and that's very encouraging," the spokeswoman said.

Thousands of schoolies were dancing to DJs playing on the main beach about 1am yesterday when police swooped on a group of older Sydney men in the throng. The 25 men, who appeared to be in their 20s, were ordered off the beach for 24 hours after a young woman told police they were being verbally harassed and intimidated by the "toolies".

"The males were surrounding schoolies on the beach and were intimidating them," Gold Coast police Superintendent Brett Pointing said.

He said the swoop by more than 20 officers served as a warning to anyone considering similar behaviour.

Of the 33 arrests made by police on Thursday night, only 14 were schoolies.

SCHOOLIES back in Victoria are labelling this year's celebrations at Lorne "Blokesworld" as men far outnumber women at the Victorian coastal town.

Beach cricket and beer is the order of the day, but the lack of female company has left them a little frustrated.

"There's not enough girls," said Matt Sotirakis, 18, of Cheltenham.

"You should have seen the ratio down at the beach last night. There was about five guys to one chick."

Qld Police brace for influx of interstate schoolies

2005-11-26T02:43:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
Queensland Police on the Gold Coast say the next two nights will be the most challenging of the schoolies week with teenagers from other states arriving in Surfers Paradise.

Superintendent Brett Pointing says about 20,000 school leavers from New South Wales and Victoria are expected to arrive in the party precinct as Queenslanders prepare to check-out from hotels.

Superintendent Pointing says the policing strategy will change but officers will continue to be faced with issues such as drunkenness and public scuffles.

"The event actually changes quite noticeably from a police perspective," he said.

"A lot of the schoolies coming from southern states are 18 and they can go into licensed premises, so it does change the nature of the event and generally it reduces the amount of people that party in public space".

Youth celebrating schoolies week collapses at Rottnest

2005-11-26T02:42:00.000+10:00

Sunday Times - 25nov05

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy who collapsed while reef-walking at Rottnest Island has been airlifted to a Perth hospital in a critical condition.

Friends of the teenager, who was among hundreds celebrating schoolies week on the popular island 20km from Perth, brought him ashore at The Basin beach and performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation when his breathing and pulse stopped.
"He was brought ashore, he collapsed, he was not breathing, he had no pulse, and his mates undertook CPR on him for many minutes," a police spokesman said. "A doctor and paramedics took over the CPR and he was then (medically evacuated) from the school oval."

He arrived at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth about 1pm in a critical condition, a spokeswoman for the hospital said.

A toxicology report had ruled out any bites or stings, the spokeswoman said, adding that privacy considerations prevented the release of any further medical information.

Police said no alcohol or drugs were involved.

Girl pushers work schoolies

2005-11-26T02:39:00.000+10:00

news.com.au - 25nov05

GOLD Coast police are investigating reports that young girls are being used to sell drugs to 'schoolies' at Surfers' Paradise.

The Herald-Sun has reported that school leavers said that young female pushers were working the main beach each night, offering ecstasy to the mostly under-age crowd for $35 a tablet.
But police say they have not encountered the young female dealers, and point to "thousands" of bag searches in the Cavill Avenue schoolies precinct, which have so far turned up only small amounts of ecstasy or marijuana.

Gold Coast police have used drug sniffer-dogs as part of random drug searches conducted throughout the week.

"They are not finding any drugs," a police spokeswoman said, adding that there had not been any large drug busts during schoolies 2005. The only exception has been a man caught with 22 tablets on Thursday night.

But social worker Dominic Mapstone, who runs the website 'schoolies.org.au', has said that he is not surprised by reports of drug dealing during schoolies' week.

"Drugs are easier to get than alcohol if you are at the Gold Coast for schoolies, you will be offered drugs," said Mr Mapstone.

Mapstone, who has travelled to the Gold Coast each year for twenty years for the festival, says that outside the heavily-policed Cavill Avenue precinct is where most illegal activity takes place.

"They've got everything on offer, ecstacy and marijuana are easier to use for the casual drug user, but people are offered shots of heroin, speed, sometimes in the barrel of the needle ready to go. It is worse than (Sydney's) King's Cross".

Gold Coast police say that with the last weekend of the Queensland schoolies festival coming up, arrests of school-leavers have been well down compared to the adult population.

Police also say that they have confiscated only nine fake ID cards in a sweep co-ordinated with licenced venues, compared to 700 for the same period in 2004.

So far, 65 school leavers have been arrested, most for public intoxication and disorderly behaviour. By comparison, arrests amongst non-schoolies have topped 150 so far.

But could a decline in alcohol-related arrests be due to a shift amongst school leavers turning from alcohol to drugs?

School-leavers are being praised for their behaviour this year, but reports of drug-dealing in Surfers' Paradise nightclubs have worried some.

The Herald-Sun reported that a group of six boys it spoke to from Wangaratta confirmed that ecstasy was rife in the schoolies hotspot.

"I went into the toilet at a club on Wednesday night, and a guy was even selling it there," said one of the group, a 17-year-old who has been using his older brother's ID to gain entry into nightclubs over the past week.

An 18-year-old Brisbane teenager, who police said was not a schoolie, was arrested on the main nightclub strip early yesterday with 22 ecstasy tablets.

A group of four teenagers were arrested while smoking marijuana in a small van. "It was reminiscent of a Cheech and Chong movie," Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said about the marijuana smell coming from the van.

Next week, New South Wales school-leavers arrive at units, motels and hotels all along the Gold Coast as the festival enters its second week.

Police say that the nature of the event changes with larger numbers of 18 year olds coming from southern states, as activity increases in licensed venues, rather than in public spaces and on beaches.

14 schoolies among 33 arrests

2005-11-26T02:37:00.000+10:00

aap - 25nov05

POLICE made 33 arrests during schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast overnight as they braced for an influx of New South Wales school leavers.

Fourteen of the 33 people arrested on 39 charges were schoolies.
Gold Coast district Superintendent Brett Pointing said police faced the biggest festival challenge this weekend when an expected 20,000 NSW school leavers descend on Surfers Paradise.

The strategies for police will change because NSW school leavers are mainly aged 18 and able to access licensed premises.

Police worry the combination of NSW and Queensland school leavers could create havoc on Surfer's Paradise streets.

Compared with this time last year, police had arrested 254 people, including 75 schoolies and 179 toolies (older people who gatecrash the festival).

This year at the same stage they have made 260 arrests – 65 schoolies and 195 toolies – indicating school leavers have generally been well behaved.

Last night police confiscated a knife from a 17-year-old and arrested a schoolie for cannabis possession.

"Overall we thought the crowds were up and police had a very busy night," Supt Pointing said.

"One thing we did observe was a lot more minor scuffles.

"I think that's consistent with last year when towards the end of the first week people become tired and partied out.

"Last night we arrested a high percentage of people for disorderly conduct."

Town braces for schoolies arrival

2005-11-26T02:36:00.000+10:00

aap - 25nov05

THE South Australian seaside town of Victor Harbor is bracing itself for the annual schoolies invasion of about 10,000 teenagers in the next few days.

The town, south of Adelaide, is the traditional location for the week-long celebrations for school leavers following SA's final Year 12 examination today.
Police will be out in force for the duration along with volunteers and community health workers.

Last year, 68 schoolies needed hospital treatment for a variety of problems, ranging from bee stings, sunburn and asthma to issues related to alcohol and substance abuse.

First aid officers also treated another 357.

The South Australian Minister for Substance Abuse, Carmel Zollo, said while the end of school was a time to have fun, it was essential that the youngsters stayed safe.

"Schoolies should not drink to become drunk, because this increases the chances of being involved in accidents, engaging in unsafe sex and being more vulnerable to violence and sexual coercion," Ms Zollo said.

The minister also warned school leavers about the so-called "toolies", older individuals who too often preyed on schoolies.

"It's an unfortunate reality that toolies, who are generally males aged between 20 and 24, make an appearance at events like this and try to take advantage of intoxicated teenage girls," she said.

"It is important that schoolies feel empowered to say no if they do not want to drink or when they've had enough and their friends need to respect this."

Schoolies week organisers said more than 350 volunteers would be involved this year to help teenagers stay safe. A 24-hour cafe is to be set up as a refuge from other activities.

Meanwhile the South Coast Health Service has rostered extra staff, including several with previous experience of schoolies celebrations and with expertise in drug-related issues.

Extra beds also have been provided at the hospital.

The SA Ambulance service said its crews attending the celebrations had all had previous experience with the Schoolies activities at Victor Harbor.

Girls push ecstasy

2005-11-26T02:33:00.000+10:00

Herald Sun - 25nov05

BEACH girls are being used to push ecstasy to teens at schoolie parties.

Dozens of school leavers told the Herald Sun yesterday that young female pushers were working the main beach each night, offering ecstasy to the mostly under-age crowd for $35 a tablet.
"I have had many girls come up to me at the beach over the last week and ask if I want any ecstasy," said Leonie, 17, from Brisbane.

"They are using girls so we aren't scared off, like we would be if they were men."

Hundreds of Victorian teens are among the celebrating school-leavers at the "dry zone" parties each night.

Melbourne teenager Cheri, 17, said taking a pill appeared to be easier than risking a $225 fine for drinking alcohol in public.

"Rather than going all the way back to the hotel to have a drink and then coming back down to the beach again like I have been doing, people are just taking a pill and then they are set to stay at the beach for the whole night," Cheri said.

A group of six boys from Wangaratta confirmed that ecstasy was rife in the schoolies hotspot.

"I went into the toilet at a club on Wednesday night, and a guy was even selling it there," said one of the group, a 17-year-old who has been using his older brother's ID to gain entry into nightclubs over the past week.

An 18-year-old Brisbane teenager, who police say was not a schoolie, was arrested on the main nightclub strip early yesterday with 22 ecstasy tablets.

Another Queensland man, 19, was charged after being caught with six ecstasy tablets last Saturday.

Amy, 17, from Brisbane, said she watched as a teenager convulsed after taking ecstasy at the beach on Wednesday night.

"It was like she was having a fit," Amy said.

"I asked the people who were looking after her what was wrong, and they told me she had some bad ecstasy."

A Gold Coast Hospital spokeswoman said drug-affected schoolies had been treated at the hospital since the week began last Friday, but could not say how many.

"I know there has been no increased level of demand," the spokeswoman said.

"It is no secret that we have a lot of ecstasy presentations on the Gold Coast anyway."

Police are searching thousands of bags at the main beach each night in a bid to curb alcohol-related violence and binge drinking.

Gold Coast police deny the schoolies dry-zone has increased drug use, saying they are prosecuting all drug and alcohol offenders equally.

"We have caught people possessing and selling drugs and we are cracking down on them," a spokeswoman said.

Only 16 of 35 arrests made by Gold Coast police on Wednesday night were schoolies.

They were all charged with public drinking and/or disorderly behaviour.

AT Lorne, most schoolies surveyed by the Herald Sun said they had not taken, or been offered, drugs.

But some said drug-use was common at night on the foreshore. "There's so many people here on ecstasy," one girl said.

Schoolies take to pills

2005-11-26T02:32:00.000+10:00

Daily Telegraph - November 25, 2005

SCHOOL leavers on the Gold Coast for Schoolies are turning to drugs rather than risk a $225 fine for drinking alcohol in public, it was claimed yesterday.

Teenagers said they are being targeted by pushers on the main beach offering ecstasy for $35 per tablet.

An 18-year-old Brisbane man, who police say was not a Schoolie, was arrested on the main strip yesterday with 22 ecstasy tablets. Another Queensland man, 19, was caught with six ecstasy tablets last Saturday.

Leonie, 17, said the majority of drug runners were young women.

"I have had many girls come up to me and ask if I want ecstasy," Leonie, from Brisbane, said.

"They use girls so we aren't scared off, like we would be if it was a man."

Cheri, 17, said taking a pill appeared to be easy compared to concealing alcohol from the police.

Police are searching thousands of Schoolies in a bid to curb alcohol-related violence.

Police praise better behaved schoolies

2005-11-26T02:31:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
Gold Coast police have again praised the behaviour of young people celebrating during Schoolies week.

Superintendent Brett Pointing says 51 schoolies have been arrested this year compared to 71 at the same time last year.

He says less than half of those arrested in Surfers Paradise last night were schoolies.

"Night six of Schoolies saw 36 people arrested on 37 charges. However, only 16 of these were schoolies. Once again, most arrests were for intoxication and minor public nuisance offences," he said.

Schoolie arrest for police assault

2005-11-26T02:28:00.000+10:00

aap - 24nov05

A 17-year-old schoolie has been arrested for obstructing and assaulting police after a violent struggle during a Gold Coast drug bust.

A police officer suffered a knee laceration while detaining the youth, one of four teenagers caught smoking marijuana in a small van parked on Trickett St, Surfers Paradise about 2.30am (AEST), police said.
The teenager, from Coomera just north of the Gold Coast, tried to run from police but he was caught only metres away.

His 16-year-old brother was given notice to appear in juvenile court for obstructing police.

Two other youths, both 17, were charged with possession of a dangerous drug.

"It was reminiscent of a Cheech and Chong movie," Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said about the marijuana smell coming from the van.

The four youths were among the 36 arrested on 37 charges on the Gold Coast overnight. Sixteen of the arrested were schoolies.

Only two of the 51 schoolies arrested this year have been women.

The total arrest figure for this year's schoolies was down about 20 per cent compared with last year when there were 71 arrests.

"Police were again very happy with the behaviour of schoolies," Supt Pointing said.

"There were some minor scuffles that didn't result in any complaints made to police."

Meanwhile, a male youth will appear in Southport Magistrates Court today charged with selling ecstasy after he was caught in possession of 24 tablets.

St Joseph's raise $2000 for East Timor

2005-11-26T02:27:00.000+10:00

Scone Advocate - Thursday, 24 November 2005

St Joseph's Aberdeen (SJA) students have raised $2000 to send to fellow students in East Timor after watching a moving presentation by an SJA former teacher, Robert Sheridan.
Mr Sheridan, who now teaches at St Francis Xavier College in Newcastle, will be travelling with a group of his Year 12 students to East Timor to live and work with the locals.

The students will sacrifice their "schoolies" holiday to take part in the trip.

SJA deputy principal Leo Walsh said Mr Sheridan's visit to the school was the start of a new mission for the Year 11 students (now in Year 12).

"The sacrifice captivated the other students," Mr Walsh said.

Year 12 student Hollie Tilse said the power-point presentation Mr Sheridan gave sparked the idea to raise money for him to take to East Timor and give to the students there.

"It was a very moving presentation and we then showed it to every grade and decided to raise the money.

"The presentation showed students in East Timor and their way of life," she said.

Fellow Year 12 student Sarah Abrahamse agreed.

"It was his passion and how he told stories about these people. People who had names," Sarah said.

Together, the SJA students raised $2000 through cake stalls, a fancy hat day and donations.

"The other students were very willing to give," Hollie said.

The students said they were surprised and overwhelmed to find out how much money they had raised. "The aim was $2000, but we thought it was an unrealistic goal."

Mr Sheridan will take the money to the people in East Timor.

The girls thanked Mrs O'Brien, the whole school and their families for their support and donations.

Schoolies lessons

2005-11-26T02:25:00.000+10:00

Herald Sun editorial - 24nov05

THE annual phenomenon known as Schoolies Week is a headache for parents, police and some participants.

The partying is a well-earned chance to unwind after a year of hard work.
But there is an unfortunate aspect – excess drinking, drug use and the presence of older outsiders bent on mayhem.

Some adults want the schoolies celebrations ended. They brand them as nothing more than tourist promotions that exploit the young.

Certainly police must show no mercy to those who lead astray young people through alcohol, drugs or incitement to violence.

But it would be a great pity if the actions of a few denied schoolies the chance to let their hair down.

Man fronts court over schoolies assault charges

2005-11-26T02:24:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Wednesday, 23 November 2005. 17:34 (AWST)
A man has appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court charged over two assaults at schoolies week on the Gold Coast.

Twenty-year-old Roy Paulo of Redbank Plains is charged with grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning bodily harm whilst in company.

The court was told on Saturday night Paulo punched a man several times.

The victim needed surgery after suffering a fractured nose and cheekbone.

The court was also told on Monday night, Paulo was among a group of males who surrounded a 17-year-old boy.

It is alleged the victim was knocked to the ground and Paulo punched him a number of times and ripped his schoolies ID band from his wrist.

Paulo told police the boy had racially abused him.

Paulo was refused bail and will appear in court again in January for mention.

Bail refused over Schoolies attacks

2005-11-26T02:22:00.000+10:00

aap - 23nov05

A 20-year-old man charged with two separate assaults during Schoolies celebrations on Queensland's Gold Coast has been refused bail after appearing in court.

Roy Paulo, 20, of Redbank Plains south-west of Brisbane, appeared in Southport Magistrates Court today charged with grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning bodily harm whilst in company.
The court heard in the first attack, Mr Paulo punched 18-year-old Lucas Miller several times at the Esplanade at Surfers Paradise on Saturday night.

Lucas, the son of Brisbane 4BC radio host John Miller, suffered a fractured cheekbone and nose and required reconstructive surgery.

The bashing prompted calls by Mr Miller to ban Schoolies on the Gold Coast, which attracts tens of thousands of school leavers from across the country, and again sparked heated debate among the state's politicians.

The court heard Mr Paulo was also among a group of males who attacked a 17-year-old boy as he walked alone through the sand dunes near the Northcliffe Lifesaving Club at Surfers Paradise on Monday night.

Mr Paulo allegedly punched the boy a number of times before ripping his Schoolies identification band from his wrists.

He told police the boy had racially abused him, the court heard.

Mr Paulo, who was not required to plea, was refused bail and will appear in court again on January 6 for mention.

Meanwhile, police arrested a further 35 people on 45 charges overnight, the fifth day of festivities, however only 11 of those were Schoolies.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said most of the charges related to public nuisance and disorderly behaviour.

However police had arrested two 16-year-olds for allegedly carrying knives, he said.

"In fact one of the juveniles was in possession of a butcher's knife with about a 10 inch (25cm) long blade," Supt Pointing said.

Supt Pointing said so-called "toolies", older revellers attending Schoolies, were continuing to cause problems for police.

"We have 30,000 to 50,000 Schoolies – 99.9 per cent of which are great, a credit to themselves and their parents," he said.

"But we also know we do have some particularly male predatory behaviour who try to cash in on the event and we have arrested drug dealers in the past – thank God so far for this event it has been relatively free from that."

The Australian Medical Association (AMA) warned Schoolies to play it safe, saying activities such as binge-drinking, drug use and unprotected sex posed health risks "long after Schoolies week is over".

"Partying school leavers need to take stock of their own safety and the safety of others around them," Queensland AMA president Steve Hambleton said.

600 Schoolies party Magnetic

2005-11-26T02:21:00.000+10:00

Magnetic Island News
It’s party, party, party, this week on Magnetic Island as Schoolies’ Week hits full stride with over 600 schoolies roaming the Island in search of fun and more fun.

And it seems the word about Magnetic is spreading among schoolies far and wide. Atherton High’s schoolies all came to Magnetic and there were schoolies from Innisfail, Ayr, the Gold Coast and even from Penrith outside of Sydney.

So far the only problems reported to police have been some noise complaints from locals who have found the laughing and calling out in the streets late at night less than conducive to a good night’s sleep.

There are however few complaints from Island businesses, as the impact of Schoolies' Week on the Island economy is nothing short of a windfall, with each schoolie thought to spend several hundred dollars each during their stay. Business usually suffers from a downturn in trade at this time of year as the main tourist season evaporates with the increasing summer heat.

So far over 600 schoolies have registered for their schoolies' passes - which give them access to all the schoolies' events - but organisers expect the final number, with schoolies coming and going from the Island, to be about 700 for the week.

Ironically, Magnetic Times has learned that only three Island resident Schoolies have stayed on Magnetic for the event. Clearly most Island schoolies believe change must be part of their holiday.

Between 8 and 10 extra police including police liaison, some extra crews from Ingham and Charters Towers plus Water Police have been assigned to be on duty on Magnetic during Schoolies' Week. But their workload, so far, has not been stretched it seems. Magnetic Island Police Sargent Kerry Kraut was very happy with the schoolies’ behaviour. “There have only been a couple of noise complaints but it’s hard to act against people laughing and talking loudly on the street” he said.

Only one liquor infringement notice had been served and, so far, there have been no reports of damage caused by schoolies.

WA Police ready for influx

2005-11-26T02:19:00.000+10:00

Busselton-Dunsborough Mail - Wednesday, 23 November 2005

BUSSELTON police will be stretched to the limit this weekend with Sunday's international ironman event and an expected influx of school leavers.
Busselton Police Senior Sergeant Brian Wilkinson is expecting his busiest week of the year with up to 30,000 people in the streets for Ironman Western Australia and 5000 school leavers in Dunsborough.

He said the pressure was on to make sure things went smoothly.

"The ironman event is an international event and the stakes are high," he said.

"It brings a lot of revenue into the community and we have an important role in making sure the event is a success. We don't want the leaver's event messing up the other."

Police will be working overtime to make sure there is a strong presence during both events.

"It will be all hands on deck. We have 18 officers working 5am to 2am the next day for the ironman event," Snr Sgt Wilkinson said.

"We will have 30,000 people in CBD and around the place. It is a big traffic management issue"

Police will also be on the lookout for opportunistic thieves.

"One of the biggest things we contended with last year was petty stealing and opportunistic theft," he said.

"These events attract a lot of people and 99.9 per cent are into the event. But there is that small unsavoury element that see it as an opportunity."

Police will also ramp up their presence for Leavers Week, with the local lockup operating throughout the night all next week starting tomorrow to deal with unruly behaviour.

Busselton Magistrates Court will also run every day next week.

"This year you will be arrested and a polaroid picture will be taken. We also have the capacity to hold people until their parents come to pick them up," Snr Sgt Wilkinson said.

"We will be able to impose bail conditions such as banning people from the townsite or the CBD or issue an order not to consume alcohol for a 48-hour period."

Police will especially target "toolies", non-school leavers who come down for the week to prey on leavers.

"From our experiences last year it was not the schoolies we were arresting, it was the toolies," Snr Sgt Wilkinson said.

"One of the main difficulties was sorting the wheat from the chaff - the toolies from the schoolies.

"It would be fair to say a lot of our attention this year will be on the toolies."

Door shut on schoolies

2005-11-25T12:07:00.000+10:00

Bunbury Mail - Wednesday, 23 November 2005

BUNBURY appears to have closed the door on schoolies despite pleas from the Dunsborough Leavers Committee and the Bunbury City Council.

When contacted by the Bunbury Mail, hotels, motels and caravan parks said they were not prepared to accommodate school leavers.

With final exams finishing on Monday, most school leavers are now travelling to Dunsborough and Margaret River and police are planning highway road blocks along the way and a crackdown on underage drinking.

Earlier this month Bunbury City Council chief executive Greg Travaskis said leavers should be encouraged to come to Bunbury as they bring dollars to the city and resources to support the partying youngsters based here.

South West police have also supported this policy as the majority of policing resources are centered in Bunbury.

However local hotels and motels are already booked out this time of the year, leaving little room for leavers – if they were to accept their reservations.

And caravan parks are treating them as a nuisance, refusing to accommodate their requests.

Bunbury Village Holiday Park said it had experienced problems with school leavers in the past and was refusing to take bookings unless the youngsters were accompanied by a parent.

"They drink, make noise and upset other residents," the caravan park owner said.

Spokespersons for the Lighthouse Resort and the Bunbury Motel told the Bunbury Mail it was refusing schoolies because they disrupted their corporate clients.

Previously the Dunsborough Leavers Advisory Committee said it was at breaking point and was unable to accommodate "everyone elses" leavers.

Arrest over schoolie bashing

2005-11-25T12:04:00.000+10:00

aap - 23nov05

A 20-year-old man has been charged over the bashing of a Brisbane teenager during schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast.

Lucas Miller, 18, suffered a fractured cheekbone and required reconstructive surgery after he was allegedly king hit in Surfers Paradise on Saturday night.
Brisbane radio host John Miller from 4BC, who is the father of Lucas, has called for an end to schoolies.

Lucas was reportedly walking home along the esplanade near Clifford Street, Surfers Paradise, about 9pm (AEST) when allegedly approached by a group of four or five men and attacked.

The 20-year-old man is due to appear in Southport Magistrates Court today charged with one count of assault occasioning bodily harm.

Police, meanwhile, have also released comfit details of two men believed to have been involved in an attack on a 17-year-old schoolie on Surfers Paradise beach on Monday night.

"A youth was walking through the sand dunes on his own and was assaulted by a group of males," Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing told Channel Nine's Today Show.

"They punched him, they stole his schoolies ID."

Supt Pointing said one of the main risks was older people, the so-called toolies, targeting schoolies.

"We have 30,000 to 50,000 schoolies – 99.9 per cent of which are great, a credit to themselves and their parents," he said.

"But we also know we do have some particularly male predatory behaviour who try to cash in on the event and we have arrested drug dealers in the past – thank God so far for this event it has been relatively free from that.

"But yes we are aware with such a big youth target group here we have some risks to manage."

Warnings and wild times at Schoolies

2005-11-25T12:01:00.000+10:00

New Zealand Herald - 23.11.05

Australia is bracing itself as Schoolies Week, an almost Darwinian rite of passage for the nation's school-leavers, gets into full swing.

Every year thousands of youths swarm to beachside resort towns in a hedonistic revelry that inevitably ends in tales of drunkenness, drugs, sex, assaults and predation by deviants and ageing Lotharios known as "toolies".

"It's no secret that Schoolies Week means tens of thousands of teenagers in the one place for a couple of weeks - every leech in the country knows this," warns the National Schoolies website's survival guide.

"There are heaps of older people either wanting sex from you, wanting to beat the croutons out of you, wanting you to join their religion or wanting you to buy something."

Even before the first of 50,000 schoolies began their annual migration to the number one party, on Queensland's Gold Coast, police seized a huge stockpile of drugs assembled for dealers mingling with partygoers.

As the Gold Coast party began, the first drug arrests were made.

Police renewed warnings of sexual predators after a man was warned against photographing young women.

Australian Federal Police agents have joined more than 1000 local police to boost protection not only against the normal run of crime, but also lower the chance of a terror attack.

Since it began evolving into a national institution about three decades ago, Schoolies has become an agony for parents, social workers and police and emergency services, but a gold run for party towns and companies that specialise in booking holiday packages for kids on the rampage.

It is such an institution that five years ago the Federal Court held that a trademark on the names "Schoolies" and "Schoolies Week" taken out by a pioneering specialist travel agent was not valid because the annual party had become a tradition.

A 1997 survey published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health found that of the almost 1800 school-leavers questioned, about 52 per cent of boys and 37 per cent of girls were drunk every day (or night), 47 per cent of boys and 34 per cent of girls spent all or part of their partying on drugs, and 44 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls had casual sex.

While most Schoolies resorts are now trying to clean up their act, organisers at one venue this year were slammed for its pole dancing competitions, a "naughty" school uniform night, and wrestling in baked beans.

The round of end-of-school celebrations began at the weekend on the Gold Coast, and will continue at different venues until the end of the month.

Police made a number of arrests, including for such serious offences as assault and drug possession, and two youths were injured - one seriously - when their car ran into a tree on the way home from a school-leavers' party at Toowoomba, west of Brisbane.

Gold Coast police are also investigating the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl, and the gang-bashing of the 18-year-old son of an anti-Schoolies Week Brisbane broadcaster.

Trainee caught in Schoolies net

2005-11-25T11:57:00.000+10:00

Courier Mail - 23nov05

POLICE were left red-faced after a young trainee administration officer with the Queensland Police Service was arrested at Schoolies.

The youth was one of two 17-year-olds apprehended after a brawl near Clifford St, Surfers Paradise. Both were charged with possession of a knife and being a public nuisance. The other youth also was charged with possession of ecstasy.

A police spokeswoman said the Ethical Standards Command had reviewed the incident and the traineeship had been terminated early. The trainee had been due to finish next month.

On Monday night, 24 people, including six school-leavers, were arrested in Surfers Paradise.

Police are also investigating an attack on a 17-year-old school-leaver near Northcliffe surf club. The youth was punched in the face.

It is believed his attacker might also be responsible for the bashing of Lucas Miller, the son of Brisbane broadcaster John Miller who has launched a campaign to end the event.

In Parliament yesterday, Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg accused the Government of trying to stifle community debate, claiming staff of Communities Minister Warren Pitt had demanded Brisbane radio station 4BC drop programming relating to violence at Schoolies.

Schoolies attacks 'may be linked'

2005-11-25T11:55:00.000+10:00

aap - November 22, 2005

ANOTHER teenage boy has been injured at Schoolies celebrations on Queensland's Gold Coast, during an attack police believe could be linked to an earlier assault at the weekend.

Police made 26 more arrests overnight on the third day of Schoolies celebrations for offences including possession of ecstasy, public drinking, carrying knives in public and disorderly behaviour.

One arrest involved a trainee administration officer with the Queensland Police Service, who has since been sacked.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said in the most serious incident, a 17-year-old boy was attacked by a gang as he walked alone through sand dunes about 10pm (AEST) yesterday.

The boy, who was headed towards the Schoolies' precinct, suffered minor cuts to his face.

"He was approached by a group of males who assaulted him and stole his Schoolies ID," Supt Pointing said today.

"Detectives are currently working with the complainant and we cannot discount an association with this assault and the assault of Lucas Miller the other evening."

Lucas Miller, the 18-year-old son of 4BC Brisbane radio host John Miller, suffered a fractured cheekbone in an apparently unprovoked attack.

The bashing prompted calls by Mr Miller to ban Schoolies on the Gold Coast, which attracts tens of thousands of school leavers, and again sparked heated debate among Queensland politicians.

Police said no arrests had yet been made over that attack despite Mr Miller offering a $5000 reward to help catch those responsible.

Supt Pointing said older revellers known as "toolies" were continuing to cause havoc during the festivities, with only six high-school leavers among the 26 charged overnight.

Most were arrested for public drinking and disorderly behaviour.

Supt Pointing said a 17-year-old boy, a trainee administration officer with Queensland police in Brisbane, had been charged with possession of a knife and creating a public nuisance.

"Senior officers from Ethical Standards Command have investigated the matter and his employment with the Queensland Police Service has been immediately terminated," he said.

Another 17-year-old boy was charged with possessing ecstasy, carrying a knife and creating a public nuisance.

Both were expected to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on December 14.

Supt Pointing said despite the arrests and a continuing problem with underage drinking, police were "very happy" with Schoolies' behaviour.

He also dismissed calls for Schoolies to be banned.

"Schoolies doesn't have a front door nor a back door," he said.

"Schoolies have been choosing to come here for over 20 years and they'll continue to come here."

No bail for toolie facing schoolie assault counts

2005-11-24T21:31:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 24Nov05

A MAN accused of king-hitting the son of a Brisbane talkback radio announcer was denied bail when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court.

Roy Paulo, 20, faced a charge of grievous bodily harm, and assault occasioning bodily harm yesterday after allegedly being involved in two schoolies attacks.

The court was told Mr Paulo, of Redbank Plains, had been involved in an incident on Saturday and another on Monday.

He allegedly punched Lucas Miller, 18, the son of 4BC drivetime announcer John Miller, with a closed fist a number of times while he was with about five other men.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Warren Murdock said Lucas Miller had received a fractured nose and cheekbone in the attack.

In the second attack, Mr Paulo was allegedly with about six or seven other men, who surrounded a man.

One of the men punched the victim in the chin, then Mr Paulo allegedly punched him with a clenched fist while he was still sitting down from the first hit.

"Both of these assaults are cowardly, gutless assaults by a group of youths in company targeting younger schoolies and outnumbering them," said Mr Murdock.

"It is alarming."

Barrister Peter Darwin said the second offence had occurred after Mr Paulo had been called a 'black nigger'.

Magistrate Michael O'Driscoll said both charges were serious and there was an unreasonable risk that he could commit other offences. The case was adjourned until January 6.

Gold Coast District Superintendent Brett Pointing praised police for their efforts in investigating the case.

He said a police officer had spotted a suspect in the crowd at Schoolies.

"It was excellent police work and the comfits from the witnesses were excellent," he said.

"It was a complex investigation and, fortunately, we received an enormous amount of assistance."

Punch drunk girls in brawls

2005-11-24T21:29:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 24Nov05

EXCESSIVE binge-drinking among young women at this year's Schoolies has been linked to the alarming number of violent cat-fights breaking out in the festival precinct.

Officials at the festival say there has been a dramatic increase in binge-drinking among girls, with ambulance officers reporting that at least 60 per cent of those suffering dangerous levels of intoxication were female.

Volunteers and spectators have also reported witnessing violent and abusive fights between girls, reportedly fuelled by the excessive alcohol intake.

About 11pm on Tuesday a fight broke out between two girls, attracting a crowd of more than 200 drunken revellers.

The lively audience watched as the teenagers ripped each other's hair and yelled profanities into the crowd, which almost bowled over a local TV cameraman.

One of the girls turned on a young male, kneeing him in the crotch.

Witness Ryal Harris said this was the second cat-fight he had seen at this year's festival.

"The girls are really getting into it this year," he said.

Queensland Ambulance Schoolies Week co-ordinator Allan Windsor said there had been a change in female drinking trends this year.

"What we are noticing is that they are not eating, they are having four or five shots of liqueur and then half a bottle of vodka and becoming very drunk," he said.

"They are not violent by the time they get to us. They are emotional. We see them after they have collapsed."

He said at least 60 per cent of the patients officers had treated were young women.

"They are drinking to be cool or because they have had a fight with a friend or boyfriend," he said.

Last Friday, the first night of the Schoolies Festival, security was called to the Red Frog Stage to break up a fight between two girls.

The teenagers ignored authorities and continued to assault each other. The fight moved from outside the stage down to the beach.

Gold Coast district superintendent Brett Pointing said that police on the ground at the festival had reported a higher level of intoxication and binge-drinking among girls.

"We have been hearing reports that the girls are trying to keep up with the boys," he said.

Despite the excessive alcohol consumption, female arrests are low with police reporting only eight out of the 191 made so far.

"I think what happens is that the girls realise they need help before they get into too much trouble," said Supt Pointing.

"Despite the level of drinking, they seem to be listening to our messages of safety more than the boys."

On Tuesday night a 17-year-old girl was arrested for drunk and disorderly behaviour after she collapsed on the beach.

That same night the festival's halfway mark there were 35 arrests with 45 charges.

"We are pleased to say that only 11 of them were schoolies," said Supt Pointing.

"A 17-year-old girl was arrested for possession of an implement for smoking and police also arrested two other male juveniles for possession of knives.

"One of the boys was carrying a 30cm butcher's knife and the other had a pocketknife in his bag.

"The boy carrying the butcher's knife was walking along the beach with the handle sticking out of his pocket."

He said the rain initially kept the schoolies inside but once it cleared, the precinct picked up momentum.

Busselton braces for schoolies influx

2005-11-22T18:13:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Tuesday, 22 November
Resources are being boosted at the police station and courthouse in Busselton to help the town cope with the 35,000 people expected for schoolies' celebrations and the ironman triathlon.

The police station will serve as a 24-hour lock-up facility for people who are arrested during celebrations in Busselton and Dunsborough, while the magistrates court will be running every day next week.

Traffic patrols will also be boosted to help manage the ironman event.

Senior Sergeant Brian Wilkinson says adults who commit offences at schoolies' celebrations could be prohibited from re-entering the Dunsborough town centre.

He says juveniles will only be released into the care of their parents.

"We just can't let children back out onto the streets without a parent, so we're serious about it, we're running the police station 24-hours-a-day and we can care for the kids here for as long as it takes for the parents to get down and look after them," he said.

Police investigate schoolies assault claims

2005-11-22T18:12:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Tuesday, 22 November 2005.
Gold Coast police say they are investigating a complaint by a 17-year-old youth that he was assaulted by a group of males on the beach.

Superintendent Brett Pointing says the teenager contacted police about 10:00pm AEST yesterday.

Superintendent Pointing says the incident reinforces the schoolies message for people to stay together.

"He was walking alone through the sand dunes north to the schoolies' precinct from Northcliffe when a group of males approached him, assaulted him and stole his schoolies' ID," he said.

Meanwhile, police say they arrested 24 people in Surfers Paradise last night, but only six them were schoolies.

Most of the 27 charges were for public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour.

Schoolies hurt during drunken merriment

2005-11-22T18:11:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Tuesday, 22 November 2005.
Five Airlie Beach schoolies were taken to hospital last night after hurting themselves while drunk.

A Queensland Ambulance spokesman says some of the school leavers suffered head and back injuries and were taken to Proserpine Hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, police say schoolies were well-behaved, but four men were charged with a number of offences.

A 24-year-old man and a 22-year-old Dutch man are facing contravening a direction charges.

Two 23-year-old men were charged with public nuisance, obstructing police and drunk and unlicensed driving offences.

Bye bye toolies

2005-11-22T18:09:00.000+10:00

SMH - November 22, 2005 - 6:37PM

Police expect schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast to calm down for the rest of the week because older weekend revellers, known as "toolies", have gone back to work.

Statistics indicated toolies rather than school leavers were behind bad behaviour at the annual celebration at Surfers Paradise, a police spokeswoman said today.

Police made 26 more arrests overnight on the third day of schoolies celebrations for offences including possession of ecstasy, public drinking, carrying knives in public and disorderly behaviour. Only six were high-school leavers.

One arrest involved a trainee administration officer with the Queensland Police Service, who has since been sacked.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said in the most serious incident, a 17-year-old boy was attacked by a gang as he walked alone through sand dunes about 10pm (AEST) yesterday.

The boy, who was headed towards the schoolies' precinct, suffered minor cuts to his face.

"He was approached by a group of males who assaulted him and stole his schoolies ID," Superintendent Pointing said today.

"Detectives are currently working with the complainant and we cannot discount an association with this assault and the assault of Lucas Miller the other evening."

Lucas Miller, the 18-year-old son of 4BC Brisbane radio host John Miller, suffered a fractured cheekbone in an apparently unprovoked attack.

The bashing prompted calls by Mr Miller to ban schoolies on the Gold Coast, which attracts tens of thousands of school leavers, and again sparked heated debate among Queensland politicians.

Police said no arrests had yet been made over that attack despite Mr Miller offering a $5000 reward to help catch those responsible.

Superintendent Pointing said older revellers known as "toolies" were continuing to cause havoc during the festivities, with only six high-school leavers among the 26 charged overnight.

Most were arrested for public drinking and disorderly behaviour.

Superintendent Pointing said a 17-year-old boy, a trainee administration officer with Queensland police in Brisbane, had been charged with possession of a knife and creating a public nuisance.

"Senior officers from Ethical Standards Command have investigated the matter and his employment with the Queensland Police Service has been immediately terminated," he said.

Another 17-year-old boy was charged with possessing ecstasy, carrying a knife and creating a public nuisance.

Both were expected to appear in Southport Magistrates Court on December 14.

Superintendent Pointing said despite the arrests and a continuing problem with underage drinking, police were "very happy" with schoolies' behaviour.

He also dismissed calls for schoolies to be banned.

"Schoolies doesn't have a front door nor a back door," he said.

"Schoolies have been choosing to come here for over 20 years and they'll continue to come here."

Meanwhile, police said claims a 17-year-old Brisbane girl was pack raped during Schoolies celebrations were not substantiated.

The initial complaint was made by an acquaintance of the girl who believed that her friend might have been the victim of a sexual assault, police said.

"There was no pack rape of a young lady - it took some time for her to give her version of events and when police spoke to her it was not substantiated," a spokeswoman said.

Behaving their best

2005-11-22T17:50:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 22nov05

THEY might be a little sunburnt, but the celebrating schoolies on Magnetic Island are in great form.

The island event for high school graduates is enjoying a 'hassle free' reputation, with both schoolies and organisers enjoying the peaceful island location.
Police co-ordinator for the Magnetic Island event Constable Tony Ryan said he was impressed by the behaviour of the school leavers.

"So far it has been incident free. We have registered 400 schoolies, and are expecting over 1000 by the weekend," Constable Ryan said.

He believed the interaction between law enforcement officers and students at a school level was a key to a successful schoolies event.

"We try to be pro-active, with school-based police officers speaking to all the high schools prior to the end of the year. We let them know about the island, about the precautions they should take, and about general safety."

Constable Ryan admitted their task was minor compared to the job faced by the southern co-ordinators.

Gulliver Welch of Malanda found the police presence a comfort.

"It's better to have the police organise the event, than to have them chase us around all the time," Mr Welch said.

Mr Welch said the majority of students from the Atherton Tablelands preferred to spend their time on Magnetic island, rather than a location off Cairns.

"Everyone from my senior year is here. This is the only place we'd come."

"As long as we keep off the streets, and we behave ourselves, we're OK."

Amanda Garner and Scott Hatfield of the Gold Coast are convinced they made the right choice in celebrating their school graduation in North Queensland.

"We would rather be here than at Surfers. We figured we would go somewhere we have never been before," Ms Garner said.

Party animals sink another one, oh behave!

2005-11-22T17:48:00.000+10:00

Courier Mail - 22nov05

DESPITE claims of rapes and bashings, authorities said behaviour at Schoolies was no worse than previous years.

But social workers have questioned the official planning of Schoolies, saying the current program attracted young people to Surfers Paradise and failed to discourage them to drink.

Brisbane radio announcer John Miller yesterday continued his campaign to shut down the event.

He offered a $5000 reward to find the man who attacked his 18-year-old son Lucas, leaving him with facial injuries that will need surgery.

Police yesterday released a comfit of the alleged attacker, who was described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, 185cm tall with an olive complexion and of proportionate build.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg echoed Mr Miller's calls for Schoolies to be actively discouraged, and said he would not want his own children to attend the event.

He accused the Government of being soft on juvenile crime, and said people who made trouble at Schoolies should be forced to wait longer for their driver's licences.

"I think that government's got to get serious about addressing these issues . . . and coming down on these young thugs like a tonne of bricks," he said.

Premier Peter Beattie said he was concerned about reports of violent and sexual assaults but the majority of schoolies were well-behaved.

"It's impossible for any government to cancel Schoolies and we won't," he said.

"It's a case of how we try to manage this and it's not perfect science."

Police released figures showing arrests during the opening weekend were marginally higher than in 2004 but there were fewer schoolies in trouble.

Last year, a total of 119 people were arrested in the opening weekend, 21 of them school-leavers.

In the same period this year, 132 people were arrested, 18 of them school leavers.

Police also discounted a claim that a 17-year-old woman was raped at Surfers Paradise early on Monday morning.

The hospital said the weekend was no busier than normal.

A temporary ambulance tent on The Esplanade has treated a constant flow of young people suffering from lacerations as a result of fights and assaults.

Veteran Surfers Paradise social worker Angela Driscoll said the official response to Schoolies failed to curb drinking.

Ms Driscoll, co-ordinator of the Management of Public Intoxication Program, said while the event couldn't be "banned", it could be discouraged.

"We need to ask if we are happy with this being a rite of passage," she said.

Surfers Paradise Management – the body contracted to manage Schoolies – said the event could only be "contained", not cancelled.

SPM chief executive Liliana Montague said that without "diversionary activities" such as bands and DJs, young people would create more havoc.

"We do not create or promote an event, what we do is manage and contain the crowd," Ms Montague said. "If we didn't have activities on the beach, where would the kids go and what would they do? They would probably be back in their rooms drinking more."

Schools out, of control

2005-11-22T17:46:00.000+10:00

Daily Telegraph - November 22, 2005

MANY Schoolies arrived in Surfers Paradise already drunk - a change to tradition which has worried police.

Officers said many teenagers drank themselves into a stupor at home or in nearby units to avoid being booked by police for underage drinking.

Superintendent Brett Pointing said his teams were "disturbed" by recent levels of intoxication.

He said the trend had left them more vulnerable to crime and injury.

A handful of assaults were reported over the opening weekend, including a rape claim from a 17-year-old yesterday. Four rapes were reported since Friday but three complaints were withdrawn.

There were 110 alcohol fines issued on Sunday night - 64 to school leavers.

"This is a very disappointing figure," Supt Pointing said.

"Schoolies are becoming intoxicated in their apartments and then going in to the precinct. We'd just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make Schoolies more vulnerable to being a victim of crime.

"There are a lot of alcoholic drinks that don't taste like alcohol and it is very easy for young people who aren't experienced with drinking to become affected."

Drug Arm runs the Recharge Zone at Schoolies. Director Caroline Salon said teenagers were doing nothing culturally dissimilar to the wider society.

"Australians have such a strong link between celebrating and alcohol," she said.

"Because the kids are in the midst of a big celebration - they've just finished years of school - they think they have to drink.

"As part of long-term project, we'd like to change the perception of alcohol as something necessary to celebrate, but that's a much wider, population shift."

Ms Salon said 75 per cent of Schoolies would drink alcohol daily at the event.

"Sometimes they'll be brought in to the recharge zone by friends, [and they're] having trouble walking," she said.

Ms Salon said by drinking heavily, Schoolies endangered themselves.

"Not only of being hungover and the long-term health risks, they make bad and unsafe decisions," she said.

Schoolies sex assault complaint withdrawn

2005-11-22T17:44:00.001+10:00

ABC Online
A complaint about the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl at Schoolies, on the Gold Coast, has been withdrawn.

Police say the complaint was made by the alleged victim's friend but the claim was not substantiated.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Government has dismissed an Opposition idea to crackdown on schoolies week violence.

At least one school leaver was 'king hit' and hospitalised on the weekend with facial fractures.

The Opposition says juvenile offenders should be punished more severely, including possibly losing their licence for months, or even years.

But Premier Peter Beattie says that is going too far.

"If the Opposition had their way they'd be running a gestapo operation," he said.

"The reality here is that we are dealing with 17- and 18-year-olds where they are tasting their first bit of freedom - we are trying to encourage them to be responsible.

"I mean to say that we're not tough on these things is just ridiculous."

Schoolies week brings big bucks to Gold Coast tourism

2005-11-22T17:44:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Monday, 21 November , 2005
ELEANOR HALL: For decades, school leavers have been heading to the Gold Coast to blow off some steam, celebrate the end of their exams and mark the beginning of a whole new stage of life.

This year 30,000 students are expected on the coast, and it's now a two-week event, with huge marketing opportunities for the Gold Coast.

A Schoolies Week Management board runs the show, schoolies are registered, part of the famous stretch of beach is cordoned off for their use and big business is eyeing off the profits.

But, as Lisa Millar reports, organisers say they're not exploiting the teenagers, they're just catering to people who are determined to have a good time.

(Sound of dance music and crowd)

LISA MILLAR: They started arriving on Friday night, and they're still coming. From across Australia, thousands of teenagers farewelling their high school years with a party that lasts a fortnight.

Are you having a good time?

VOX POP 1: Oh, I'm having an awesome time. It's the best!

(Sound of police sirens)

LISA MILLAR: Police have busy, but so far this year so far they're happy with the crowd's behaviour. Only a handful of schoolies were among the hundred or so arrests that have been made.

But some of the locals are starting to dread the invasion.

VOX POP 2: Oh, we had a lot of problems last year, and I guess it's just a reoccurrence of that, just that it's a different group. But, you know, they've been at it all day, I guess, you know, that's what happens when you finish school. But no, just let's hope that it quietens down tomorrow.

You know, we've only just got through the Indy, that was enough and, you know, when you go through that and then you've got the schoolies on top, it's a bit hard, because we had a lot of problems last year. So, yeah, but I guess that's just life.

LISA MILLAR: Schoolies this year are discovering a fortnight at the beach is no escape from rules and responsibilities.

LILIANA MONTAGUE: We are not creating an event, we're just harnessing and managing these visitors when they get here.

LISA MILLAR: Liliana Montague is the Chief Executive Officer of Surfers Paradise Management.

She says more schoolies are agreeing to officially register for the event.

LILIANA MONTAGUE: Well, the registration gives students instant visibility through the wristband, so that when they're in the streets they know, you can quickly identify who is a schoolie and who is not.

Also, the wristband entitles them to extended safety benefits, like the free transport that brings them to home at night - we put that on from early in the evening to the wee hours of the early, early morning… yeah, early morning.

And there's a significant program of activities that are only open to registered schoolies, and free food, free water and beverages, able to capture the benefits that the sponsors bring.

So, you know, there's a lot of effort that goes into making it, you know, schoolies for schoolies.

(Sound of loud music)

Huge video screens on the beach, with DJs and live music are part of the entertainment. Apartment buildings demand strict identification and are getting tougher every year with security.

With the crowds come the companies and businesses looking for sponsoring opportunities, but Liliana Montague denies it's now one big marketing event.

LILIANA MONTAGUE: And the point is that we don't create it, we certainly don't promote it, in fact we go out of our way to avoid any pre-publicity. And the only thing we promote leading up to the event is safety - all the education panels and the safety tips that go out to the kids.

So when they get here what we're putting on the ground is systems and processes, and certainly they are entertainment, but it's diversionary activity, it's about giving them something to do whilst they're here.

ELEANOR HALL: And that's Liliana Montague from Surfers Paradise Management, ending that report from Lisa Millar in Queensland.

Too drunk to speak

2005-11-22T11:46:00.000+10:00

GC Bulletin - 22Nov05

SCHOOLIES are drinking heavily in units before hitting Surfers Paradise's streets in a legislative loophole that has worried police.

Teenagers have been drinking at home to avoid being caught by police in possession of alcohol in the Schoolies precinct. Some become so drunk they have trouble speaking.

Gold Coast district superintendent Brett Pointing said police were 'quite disturbed' by the level of public intoxication displayed on the opening three nights of the festival.

Supt Pointing said the inexperienced drinkers lost control of their faculties and decision-making abilities when drunk, exposing themselves to crime and predators.

A handful of assaults occurred in the precinct on the opening weekend and police yesterday investigated the reported rape of a 17-year-old at dawn near Beach Road. After awaiting a medical report, police last night said the complaint could not be substantiated.

Three other rape complaints were withdrawn over the weekend.

Parents stockpiled alcohol for their under-age children on the opening days, which is legally allowed, provided the alcohol is consumed in the confines of their apartment.

There were 110 liquor fines issued on Sunday night, with 64 issued to school leavers.

"This is a very disappointing figure," said Supt Pointing. "Schoolies are becoming intoxicated in their apartments and then going into the precinct. We'd just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make schoolies more vulnerable to being a victim of crime."

However, Caroline Salon, director of Drug Arm which runs the Recharge Zone at Schoolies, said the teenagers were doing nothing culturally dissimilar to the wider society.

"Australians have such a strong link between celebrating and alcohol," she said.

"Because the kids are in the midst of this big celebration they've just finished years of school they think they have to drink."

Ms Salon said 75 per cent of schoolies would drink alcohol daily at the event.

"Sometimes they'll be brought into the recharge zone by friends (and they're) having trouble speaking or walking," she said.

"They're often very apologetic for making a mess and quite often they'll show up the next evening and say thank you."

Ms Salon said by drinking heavily, schoolies endangered themselves on several levels.

Schoolies has traditionally been a magnet for 'toolies' older male troublemakers and others displaying predatory behaviour.

"The biggest challenge is the older, generally male, people who come down from Brisbane and other parts of the state to cash in on the event," said Supt Pointing.

The Schoolies Festival has been pilloried by the Queensland community for the level of drinking by minors.

Wanda Lambert, president of the Queensland Council of Parents and Citizens Association, hoped parents were responsible if they chose to give their children alcohol.

Minors face a hefty $1875 fine for drinking in public. On Sunday night, 28 people were arrested on a total of 30 charges, mostly related to public intoxication. Registered schoolies accounted for nine arrests.

Rape claims 'won't end Schoolies'

2005-11-22T11:31:00.000+10:00

aap - November 21, 2005
QUEENSLAND's Schoolies celebrations will not be canned because of the bad behaviour of a few, the state's political leaders said today.

Brisbane radio host John Miller, from Southern Cross Radio's 4BC, called for an end to Schoolies after his 18-year-old son Lucas suffered a fractured cheekbone in an apparently unprovoked attack on the Gold Coast over the weekend.

Police are also investigating the alleged rape today of a 17-year-old Brisbane girl at Schoolies.

But Premier Peter Beattie said while he understood concerns about Schoolies, he had no intention of putting an end to the annual end-of-school festivities.

Schoolies is worth millions of dollars to the local economy.

"The reality is that young people finish school and they want to let off steam," Mr Beattie said.

"It's a case of whether you try to do it in the most organised way possible, which is what we try to do on the Gold Coast, or you let it happen willy-nilly with all the problems that go with it.

"If we don't do this you'll end up with Schoolies sprawled all through suburbia and I think this is a better way."

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg agreed banning Schoolies was not the way to go.

But he called on the Government to adopt a zero-tolerance policy when it came to criminal behaviour during the week-long celebrations.

"This is not about shutting down Schoolies. We shouldn't punish the majority of the kids because of the actions of a few," Mr Springborg said.

"This is about properly resourcing and having a criminal justice system in Queensland that says this type of violence is unacceptable."

The National-Liberal Coalition has put forward a policy whereby juvenile offenders could face the possibility of being unable to apply for their driver's licence for anywhere between six months and five years as a result of offences committed at Schoolies.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said three complaints of sexual assault were made over the weekend, including this morning's alleged rape, but two of those had been withdrawn.

He said 28 people were arrested on 30 charges last night, with nine of those being Schoolies. The offences were mainly public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour.

More than 110 fines were issued for people drinking alcohol in public, 64 of those given to Schoolies.

Supt Pointing said police were disturbed at the levels of intoxication from Schoolies drinking in their apartment units before partying on Surfers Paradise streets.

"We just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make Schoolies more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime," he told reporters.

Supt Pointing also said police had noticed a worrying trend of Schoolies going for early swims on the beach.

But police are generally pleased with the overall behaviour of Schoolies and have reported one of the quietest years in recent memory.

"The biggest challenge is older people, generally male, who come down from Brisbane and other parts of the state to cash in on the Schoolies events," Supt Pointing said of the so-called toolies.

Schoolies teen rape case

2005-11-22T11:29:00.000+10:00

SMH - 21/11/05
Police are investigating an alleged rape of a 17-year-old Brisbane girl during schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast.

The teenager made the complaint at 4am (AEST) today and police said investigations were continuing.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said there had been three complaints of sexual assault over the weekend, including today's allegation, but two had been withdrawn.

He said 28 people were arrested on 30 charges overnight, with nine being schoolies related. The offences were mainly public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour.

More than 110 fines were issued for people drinking alcohol in public, 64 to schoolies.

Superintendent Pointing said police were disturbed at the levels of intoxication from schoolies drinking in their apartments before partying on Surfers Paradise streets.

"We just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make schoolies more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime," he told reporters.

He also said police had noticed a worrying trend of schoolies going for early morning swims.

"This is taking an enormous amount of resources to encourage them back from the water," Superintendent Pointing said.

"It is a high risk activity and we strongly urge schoolies not to go for a swim in the early hours of the morning."

But police are generally pleased with the overall behaviour of schoolies and have reported one of the quietest years in recent memory.

"The biggest challenge is older people, generally male, who come down from Brisbane and other parts of the state to cash in on the schoolies events," Superintendent Pointing said about the so-called toolies.

Police plead with binge drinking schoolies

2005-11-22T11:28:00.000+10:00

The Age - November 21, 2005 - 2:15PM

Police have pleaded with schoolies to limit their alcohol consumption following a weekend of binge drinking on the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said today police were disturbed at the levels of intoxication from schoolies drinking in their apartments before partying on Surfers Paradise streets and the beach.

More than 110 fines were issued overnight for people drinking alcohol in public, 64 to schoolies.

"We'd just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make schoolies more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime," Supt Pointing told reporters.

"They can't control their decision-making. It's important for schoolies to adopt a buddy system and look out for each other."

A fire in a Main Beach apartment, a vicious attack on the 18-year-old son of a Brisbane radio announcer and the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl marred the opening weekend of schoolies.

Supt Pointing heaped praise on the general behaviour of schoolies but warned against the dangers of inexperienced teenagers getting too drunk.

He advised parents to check on the welfare of their children every day and speak to them about the risks of excessive alcohol consumption.

"One of the key things is to talk about the issues around intoxication," Supt Pointing added.

"There are a lot of alcoholic drinks that don't taste alcoholic and it's very easy for young people who are inexperienced to become highly intoxicated very quickly."

The majority of the 28 people arrested overnight were for public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour offences. Nine of them were schoolies.

"Police are quite disturbed by the levels of intoxication in the (Surfers Paradise) precinct," Supt Pointing said.

Meanwhile, police have released a description of the man who king-hit Lucas Miller on Saturday night, leaving the son of 4BC announcer John Miller with a fractured nose and cheekbone.

The offender was described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, well-built and about 185cm tall.

Schoolies behaving so far at Airlie Beach

2005-11-22T11:26:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - Monday, 21 November 2005.
Whitsunday police say there have been no major incidents involving schoolies revellers so far.

School leavers started arriving at Airlie Beach over the weekend for a week of celebrations.

Whitsunday Shire Council's youth services officer, Bronwyn Ellis, has praised police and local businesses for supporting the event.

She says numbers are expected to keep growing.

"We've had just over 1,800 register on Saturday and Sunday," she said.

"There are probably some kids that actually haven't come down and registered yet, but pretty much most of them once they get into town, they've been rocking up with their bags and everything before they've gone to their accommodation houses, so I think our numbers are pretty right."

Fears for binge-drinking schoolies

2005-11-22T11:24:00.000+10:00

aap - 21nov05
POLICE have pleaded with schoolies to limit their alcohol consumption after a weekend of binge drinking on the Gold Coast.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said today police were disturbed at the levels of intoxication from schoolies drinking in their apartments before partying on Surfers Paradise streets and the beach.

More than 110 fines were issued overnight for people drinking alcohol in public, 64 to schoolies.

"We'd just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make schoolies more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime," Supt Pointing said.

"They can't control their decision-making. It's important for schoolies to adopt a buddy system and look out for each other."

A fire in a Main Beach apartment, a vicious attack on the 18-year-old son of a Brisbane radio announcer and the alleged rape of a 17-year-old girl marred the opening weekend of schoolies.

Supt Pointing heaped praise on the general behaviour of schoolies but warned against the dangers of inexperienced teenagers getting too drunk.

He advised parents to check on the welfare of their children every day and speak to them about the risks of excessive alcohol consumption.

"One of the key things is to talk about the issues around intoxication," Supt Pointing said.

"There are a lot of alcoholic drinks that don't taste alcoholic and it's very easy for young people who are inexperienced to become highly intoxicated very quickly."

Most of the 28 people arrested overnight were for public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour offences. Nine of them were schoolies.

"Police are quite disturbed by the levels of intoxication in the (Surfers Paradise) precinct," Supt Pointing said.

Meanwhile, police have released a description of the man who king-hit Lucas Miller on Saturday night, leaving the son of 4BC announcer John Miller with a fractured nose and cheekbone.

The offender was described as being of Middle Eastern appearance, well built and about 185cm tall.

Police examine schoolies rape allegation

2005-11-22T11:23:00.000+10:00

ABC Online 21/11/05
Police are investigating an alleged sexual assault at the Gold Coast Schoolies festival.

The 17-year-old girl from Brisbane is receiving hospital treatment.

Police arrested 28 people in Surfers Paradise last night, nine of them were schoolies.

They issued 110 fines for public drunkenness and other liquor offences and 64 of those went to school leavers.

Superintendent Brett Pointing says the teenagers are drinking large amounts of alcohol in their units before they start celebrating in Surfers Paradise and that makes them vulnerable.

"They can't control their decision making as well and of course it makes them highly vulnerable to becoming a victim of crime, whether it's a robbery or whether it's a sexual assault," he said.

Festival organisers have praised the behaviour of most schoolies and a spokeswoman for the Gold Coast Hospital says there has been no significant increase in demand for health services.

Schoolies should be positive: organiser

2005-11-22T11:21:00.000+10:00

Port Macquarie News - Monday, 21 November 2005

PORT Macquarie Holidays has hit back at criticism about its schoolies program.
NSW counselling and parent groups condemned the program that included pole dancing competitions, baked bean wrestling and a naughty school uniform night.

Port Macquarie Holidays manager Simon Luke said the school leavers were provided with information on arrival on topics including responsible drinking and safety, while security measures were in place.

"We want to make sure they feel comfortable with talking to us about anything," he said.

The schoolies activities cater for up to 140 people through a series of organised events beginning December 5.

Port Macquarie Holidays stressed to the Port News yesterday the pole dancing and naughty school uniform night were not on this year's program.

The naughty school uniform night has been replaced by a cowboys and Indians theme despite the fact the uniform night was still being advertised on its website yesterday.

NSW Rape Crisis Centre manager Karen Willis is opposed to activities such as pole dancing being part of schoolies week.

She said while she was not suggesting young people should sit around in circles and hum together, an activity like pole dancing was not being respectful of each other.

"There are fun things for young people to do that are not exploitative of one particular group," she said.

It would be counterproductive, she said, as some of the promoted activities would discourage young women to attend a schoolies event.

Mr Luke said pole dancing was very tongue in cheek.

He has not heard from any of the groups expressing concern and is willing to discuss the issue with the organisations and work together.

"If they are working collectively to make schoolies in Australia safer, they need to be working with the businesses instead of making a negative story," he said.

Mr Luke said Port Macquarie Holidays was committed to providing a secure and "chilled out" environment, and the small group atmosphere meant there was a sense of safety and familiarity.

The schoolies program has been running in Port Macquarie for four years, he said, without a police related incident. Organisers are working with residents in a bid to overcome noise problems encountered previously.

Organisers praise 'soft' Schoolies crowds

2005-11-22T11:19:00.000+10:00

ABC Online - 21/11/05
It has been a quiet night at Schoolies celebrations in south-east Queensland.

Police are still sorting through statistics on the Gold Coast but Sunshine Coast police say they made no arrests.

Organisers say crowds were smaller and quieter than they have been in Surfers Paradise since the annual festival began on Friday night.

Surfers Paradise Management is coordinating the festival and spokeswoman Lilliana Montague has nothing but praise for the young revellers.

"Another friendly soft crowd - everyone's saying the same thing generally they all have manners and they are friendly," she said.

There were a number of fights in Surfers Paradise on Saturday night and police say a teenage boy was king hit as he returned to his unit.

It is not clear whether the school leaver will require surgery for facial injuries he sustained in the incident.

Police probe alleged schoolies rape

2005-11-21T11:34:00.000+10:00

aap - November 21, 2005 - 12:00PM

Police are investigating an alleged rape of a 17-year-old Brisbane girl during schoolies celebrations on the Gold Coast.

The teenager made the complaint at 4am today and police said investigations were continuing.

Gold Coast Superintendent Brett Pointing said there had been three complaints of sexual assault over the weekend, including today's allegation, but two had been withdrawn.

He said 28 people were arrested on 30 charges overnight, with nine being schoolies. The offences were mainly public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour.

More than 110 fines were issued for people drinking alcohol in public, 64 to schoolies.

Supt Pointing said police were disturbed at the levels of intoxication from schoolies drinking in their apartments before partying on Surfers Paradise streets.

"We just like to reinforce the public safety message that high levels of intoxication do make schoolies more vulnerable to becoming victims of crime," he told reporters.

Supt Pointing also said police had noticed a worrying trend of schoolies going for early morning swims.

"This is taking an enormous amount of resources to encourage them back from the water," Supt Pointing said.

"It is a high risk activity and we strongly urge schoolies not to go for a swim in the early hours of the morning."

But police are generally pleased with the overall behaviour of schoolies and have reported one of the quietest years in recent memory.

"The biggest challenge is older people, generally male, who come down from Brisbane and other parts of the state to cash in on the schoolies events," Supt Pointing said about the so-called toolies.

Partying lessons

2005-11-21T08:36:00.000+10:00

Daily Telegraph - November 21, 2005

BY day, caution prevailed among the hordes of youths who descended on the Gold Coast this weekend for the start of Schoolies Week.

But come nightfall, excess ruled – the message of moderation lost on teenagers enjoying the fact that the hard slog of high school is behind them.

An estimated 30,000 school leavers descended upon Surfers Paradise at the weekend and a dance party on the sand catered for those too young to gain entry to the nightclubs.

Sarah Callaghan, 17, of Nowra, described her experience as "chaos", her highlights being the "good atmosphere" and "meeting people".

By midnight, 17-year-old Mitchell declared it was his best night yet.

"Just meeting everyone who's here who's finished school, and it has been the maddest night of my life," he said.

"No one knows what they're doing when they finish here and that's why they're here."

For others it was about young love – or sex – as couples cheered the sunrise with a kiss.

"We don't know how we met – it doesn't matter really," Scott, 18, said, turning to his new friend Jess, 17.

But celebrations were marred by drug related crime, anti-social behaviour and violence.

"Toolies", or older people who come to prey on young Schoolies, were identified as the main troublemakers.

Just nine of the 104 people arrested in the party strip over the weekend were school leavers, Superintendent Brett Pointing said.

One 19-year-old man was charged with dealing ecstasy, while another Toolie, aged in his 30s, was reportedly taking sly photographs of young girls sunbaking on the sand. Police were yet to apprehend older thugs responsible for a vicious beach attack in which two youths were slashed with glass bottles.

Zac Caddie, 17, of Elanora, watched in disbelief and horror as his two best mates were attacked.

"I was walking with my friend. He was trying to send these girls a text message and then this guy took his phone and tried to bottle my friend," Zac said yesterday.

"He bottled my friend and he hit (my other friend) on the head with the bottle. There was blood everywhere and the other one had blood all over his head."

Rumours of "a number of sexual assaults" were unsubstantiated.

Supt Pointing said overall, Schoolies' behaviour was "commendable", given the large crowds.

The largest influx of NSW Schoolies is expected this weekend, with an estimated 20,000 people booked for the second week of the event.

Schoolies Week 2005 was promoted with the theme, "celebrate but watch your mates" – and teenagers arriving at the weekend seemed well-aware of the risks of drink-spiking and excessive drinking.

"We're not going to drink out because of the dangers, mainly because we have heard so much about drink-spikers," Sheree, 17, of the Sunshine Coast, said.

"I just don't see the point really. We want to remember Schoolies."

Chris McMahon, 17, was staying in apartments at K Resort. He and his mates planned to get through 14 cartons of beer.

But Chris added his week would be devoted to other pursuits too.

"We want to go surfing, so we've got to be a bit careful," he said.

'All we want to do is have fun'

2005-11-21T06:01:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 21nov05
"STOP assuming the worst of us -- we're only here to celebrate, not to rampage drunk through the streets."

That's the message of 1200 schoolies who have converged on Magnetic Island for end-of-year celebrations.

There are no drunks wandering the streets, no blaring music and no alcohol-fuelled brawls.

It's life as usual on the island, except for the fact that the beaches are packed with teens out for a week of fun and relaxation.

Leesa Neal, 17, of Charters Towers, said schoolies were not out to cause problems.

"This is our chance to get together before everyone moves away," she said.

"This could be the very last time we get to hang out together."

Tahnee Templeton, 18, travelled all the way from Melbourne for a Schoolies Week in the sun.

"I actually looked up different schoolies locations on the Internet to decide where we wanted to go," she said.

"We knew we wanted to go to Queensland where it was hot and sunny.

"We did think of the Gold Coast but that seemed a bit out of control so we decided on Magnetic Island where it's more tropical and relaxing."

While Schoolies Week on the island has gone off without a hitch with no arrests, 39 non-school aged 'toolies' were arrested on the Gold Coast over the weekend.

Shannon Dodds, 17, of Malanda said she hated the emphasis put on the minority of schoolies who partied a little too hard.

"All we want to do is have heaps of fun with all our friends and just socialise," she said.

Makaela Hole, 18, of Atherton, said Magnetic Island had a great reputation as a fun place to go for schoolies celebrations.

"It's so relaxing being on an island," she said.

"People shouldn't expect the worst of us just because we're young.

"Registering everyone has been good and the police seem to be showing some tolerance towards drinking."

Police had their hands full registering each reveller and the teens seemed more than happy to comply.

The identification pass entitles them to free bus trips, island discounts and entry to schoolies events.

Townsville Police Senior Constable Peter Nolan said he expected this year's events to flow as smoothly as previous years.

"We had virtually no trouble last year, everyone was well behaved," he said.

"Yes, we know everyone is going to have a little drink, but really all they want is a break.

"Basically we're working on the same principles as we do if you were drinking in your home.

"Just keep out of the streets, behave yourselves, just stay in your unit and there won't be any problems."

Senior Constable Nolan said Magnetic Island was known as a haven for schoolies to enjoy themselves safely.

"Everyone knows it as a safe place to come," he said.

"Magnetic Island is basically booked out 12 months in advance and the Year 11s are already looking at next year."

Dozens arrested at Schoolies

2005-11-21T00:28:00.000+10:00

Courier Mail - 21nov05
TWO violent incidents, dozens of arrests and a post-party car crash marred the opening weekend to Schoolies celebrations in southeast Queensland.

A Brisbane school leaver was bashed in an unprovoked attack at Surfers Paradise on Saturday night, and incidents of public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour prompted 65 arrests – just nine of which were Schoolies.

Police on the Granite Belt made seven arrests after a party was gatecrashed at Applethorpe, outside Stanthorpe, on Friday night.

Early yesterday, emergency services on the Darling Downs were called to help two teenagers who were injured when their car slammed into a tree after an end-of-school party.

The victim of the Surfers Paradise attack was Lucas Miller, 18, son of Brisbane radio 4BC talkback host John Miller, who has launched a campaign to shut down Schoolies Week .

Lucas was on his way to a friend's unit near Clifford St at Surfers Paradise on Saturday night when he was attacked by four men just after 9pm.

Miller said one of the men king-hit Lucas, breaking his nose and cheeks in the unprovoked attack.

"He didn't do anything. They just socked him," Miller said.

Lucas's mum Llyn raced to the Southport Hospital's emergency ward to meet her son and was shocked to find the triage waiting room packed with injured schoolies waiting for medical attention.

"There were kids everywhere and the nurse couldn't give us any estimation of how long we would have to wait," Mrs Miller said.

She said that after waiting 1½ hours, she drove her son to a private hospital where he received immediate treatment.

The former Anglican Church Grammar School Year 12 student is back home and expected to see a facial surgeon today to find out if he needs plastic surgery.

Speaking briefly yesterday, Lucas said he was in agony after the attack and could not stop his nose from bleeding.

"They didn't give me any pain-killers," he said.

Mr Miller attacked the police's public relations team, claiming it was deliberately trying to mislead the public and make the annual event look safer than it was.

"There are lies, lies, lies about what goes on down there and I am going to lift the lid on it. You watch," Miller said.

Confirming the attack, Gold Coast police district Superintendent Brett Pointing said:

"The victim suffered serious facial injuries. I understand he may have to have surgery."

Surfers Paradise Management chief executive officer Liliana Montague said she was "horrified" to hear about the attack.

Last night's crowds were smaller and calmer than those on Saturday night, which was described by Schoolies workers as quieter and less violent than previous years.

The beach was still teeming as the sun rose yesterday.

In Friday night's Applethorpe incident, a police officer was hit in the face and bitten on the arm while trying to break up a schoolies party.

Police were called to a Curran St address just after 8.30pm where youths had reportedly gatecrashed a party. Back-up crews from as far away as Texas and Warwick were called in.

Sergeant Lionel Wrangel said a group of 20 youths pelted the first patrol car to arrive with bottles and other debris. "One officer was punched in the face and bitten on the arm," he said.

Seven people were arrested and charged with 16 offences, including disobeying orders, assault and obstruction of police, serious assault of a police officer and possession of a dangerous drug.

Early yesterday near Toowoomba, a teenage boy returning with his brother from an end-of-school party was seriously injured when their utility vehicle struck a tree.

The 16-year-old was trapped in the vehicle – near the Merritts Rd intersection of the New England Highway, halfway between Toowoomba and Crows Nest – for some time before a passer-by phoned police at 4.10am.

His 18-year-old brother sustained minor head injuries.

Island off limits to schoolie revellers

2005-11-21T00:24:00.000+10:00

The Advertiser - 21nov05

SCHOOL leavers will be banned from Victor Harbor's premier tourist spot in next weekend's schoolies invasion.

Police will stop them going on to Granite Island and the causeway after dark to prevent such incidents as last year's killing of a fairy penguin. An undisclosed number of officers will target such behaviour as traffic offences, drinking and drug-taking leading up to and after the celebrations.
They will closely monitor "toolies", older men who mix with teenagers, to prevent sex attacks.

Publicans and councillors say they are relying on organised events to keep trouble "to a minimum".

More than 3000 students are booked into accommodation across Fleurieu Peninsula. Hundreds more are expected to stay privately.

Schoolies celebrations have begun in Queensland, where 39 people - none a school leaver - were arrested on Saturday.

Organisers expect more than 9000 former students to flood Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast.

Superintendent Michael Cornish, commander of the SA Police schoolies operation, says native animals will be protected following the incident last year. A teenager attacked a Granite Island fairy penguin with a stick then took it to a party where it died.

He was sentenced in the Youth Court to a nine-month good behaviour bond, with 50 hours of community service.

"People just will not have free access to the island," Supt Cornish says. "Access will be precluded at certain times, and these protection measures will be in place for the length of schoolies."

Roads, including the Three Gullies Rd, will be closed at night to prevent young drivers "thrill-seeking".

Crown Hotel general manager Tristan Kay says the venue will have increased security.

"At our busiest times we will have up to 23 security guards on when we normally have five," he says.

"We provide responsible service of alcohol and no one will come into this hotel without showing appropriate ID."

Victor Harbor Council manager Graeme Maxwell says events have been organised to keep schoolies entertained. "A few years ago we didn't have anything organised and we had bored students causing trouble," he says.

Charlotte Forrest has just finished Year 12 and is ready to relax and have some fun during the school leavers' welcome break.

Although aware of the danger, she says she and her friends have been fully briefed and are prepared.

"Of course danger is an issue but you just have to be on guard at all times," she says. "We know we have to look out for our mates and we won't let anyone get into a dangerous situation."

Bashing, unit fires kick off schoolies

2005-11-20T19:17:00.000+10:00

AAP - 20nov05
A BRISBANE radio host wants an end to schoolies celebrations after his 18-year-old son's cheekbone was fractured in an apparently unprovoked attack on the Gold Coast.

Lucas Miller, the son of John Miller, a host on Brisbane's 4BC Radio, was walking home along the esplanade near Clifford Street at Surfers Paradise when he was approached by a group of four or five men about 9pm yesterday.

Gold Coast police say one of the group king-hit the teenager, who was taken to Gold Coast Hospital with serious facial injuries.

John Miller said schoolies celebrations should be stopped.

"My son was walking back to his apartment," Mr Miller told Southern Cross Radio today.

"He had not had a drink and he was simply king-hit. It's just disgraceful.

"The whole thing is a bloody disgrace and schoolies must stop."

Lucas Miller was discharged from Gold Coast Hospital today.

While Surfers Paradise Management chief executive Liliana Montague described the assault as "disgusting" he said the incident was the only blight on an otherwise friendly start to schoolies.

An estimated 30,000 school leavers partied overnight in the Surfers Paradise precinct.

Most of the trouble during the unofficial opening of Schoolies, traditionally the biggest night of the 10-day event, was caused by so-called "toolies".

Of the 65 people arrested for public drunkenness and disorderly behaviour overnight, only nine were schoolies.

Inspector Brett Pointing of Gold Coast police said schoolies should adopt a "buddy" system to take care of each other.

Police issued 156 fines for consuming alcohol in a public place but again toolies were mainly to blame.

"Intoxication of non-schoolies cashing in on the event continues to be the main problem and that's why we take a low tolerance to it," Supt Pointing said.

"The ones who are playing up will get arrested. It's a perennial problem.

But he said the behaviour of genuine school leavers was exemplary.

"We've given schoolies an A-plus for their behaviour. It's a credit to them."

In another incident, police believe a fire which damaged two adjoining units in the Equinox Apartments at Main Beach about 7pm yesterday was not deliberately lit.

Fire fighters were forced to smash down the door of a 10th floor unit, which had been leased to schoolies but was unoccupied when the fire broke out.

Nine floors of the building were evacuated and no one was hurt from the blaze, believed to be caused by a smouldering cigarette.

One of the units was damaged by the heat and the other affected by smoke.

A time to have fun - without the ignom(e)iny

2005-11-20T04:10:00.000+10:00

The Age
On the radio you could hear the smile in the voice of the Warrnambool policeman whose job it was to talk about the apparent theft of 16 gnomes and other garden statues found on Friday lined up next to a pedestrian crossing. A school prank, he surmised. But he also called for anyone with information to come forward.

Whether gnome-napping is funny or just annoying to gnome owners and a thinly stretched police force depends on your sense of humour. But one thing's certain: it's a sign that Schoolies Week is upon us. This event demands from parents, police, school communities, local councils and students themselves a sense of proportion, perspective and balance. It's understandable and important that school-leavers acknowledge their 13-year journey is over, and it's an exciting moment that demands a punctuation point, like a big party, or the letting down of hair. After all the hard work there's no harm in celebrating. And let's not forget that all adults were 18 once.

But does it have to involve wild scenes of public drunkenness, causing people in towns such as Surfers Paradise, Byron Bay and Lorne to batten down the hatches? Understandably nervous parents whose children are heading to Schoolies hot spots are no doubt saying two things: first, have fun; second, please take care. This means being aware that too much alcohol can invite risk, whether it involves mixing drinking with driving, or forgetting that there are people on the fringes of Schoolies Week with less-than-honourable motives.

Last week we saw soccer celebrations that were loud, colourful, fun and harmless. Australians love to celebrate alongside each other, and if the person sharing your emotion next to you is a stranger, so much the better. We hope Schoolies Week can happen in that spirit, that exuberance can be mixed with a sense of responsibility towards others. That shouldn't mean it's any less fun. And then everyone's happy - maybe even the gnome owners.

AFP watching our schoolies

2005-11-20T04:09:00.000+10:00

Sun Herald
Australian Federal Police have joined a virtual safety net of police and volunteers thrown over the Gold Coast in the biggest security crackdown staged for the annual schoolies week celebrations.

For the first time AFP agents are working with the Queensland police, who will field a record 1000 officers, and 1400 volunteers to guard tens of thousands of school-leavers against terrorist attacks.

More than 30,000 teenagers are expected to take part in the first week of schoolies' celebrations in and around Surfers Paradise. The majority of NSW school-leavers will start their celebrations next weekend.

Gold Coast district crime prevention officer Sergeant Tony Rehn said the safety net covered the popular Cavill Avenue district and Surfers Paradise beach.

AFP agents are working within a special operations control centre with Queensland state police, monitoring activities over the next three weeks.

Uniformed and plain clothes state police will check schoolies' bags for alcohol before they are allowed on the beach, and volunteers and support teams, decked out in bright-orange vests, will wander through crowds.

Police have so far arrested 34 people - none schoolies - and laid 41 charges. The biggest dangers faced by schoolies were still drink spiking and sexual assaults, Sergeant Rehn said. "Drink spiking does happen, but it is usually with alcohol and not drugs," he said. "What mainly happens is someone buys you a drink, say a bourbon and coke, and makes it a double without you knowing.

"So you think you have only had three drinks when you have really had six, and we get girls coming to us saying they have been drugged and assaulted when they were drunk instead."

Dominic Mapstone, director of the charity Rebecca's Community, has volunteered at schoolies since 2003 and said many sexual assaults go unreported. "The girls are afraid their friends or family will find out," he said.

Sexual predators and older men known as "toolies" were the biggest danger, he said.

"We have shadowed girls walking by themselves and watched as a group of men, communicating on mobile phones, surround them," he said. "Girls need to be vigilant and never let their guard down."

Meanwhile, NSW counselling and parent groups have condemned a schoolies' program in Port Macquarie that encourages revellers to take part in pole-dancing competitions, baked bean wrestling and "naughty school uniform" nights.

The week has been organised and promoted by Port Macquarie Holidays, a private tourism company that runs a local caravan park, with approval from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council.

"It's certainly not the attitude we want to encourage," manager of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre Karen Willis said.

The owner of Port Macquarie Holidays Simon Luke said

he did not think the activities would encourage bad behaviour.

Trust is the key when life's a beach for school-leavers

2005-11-20T04:07:00.000+10:00

The Age
Schoolies week is a journey for parents also, writes Corrie Perkin after seeing her daughter head off to Byron Bay.

JUST before 7am yesterday, I watched my teenage daughter board a Virgin Blue flight to Coolangatta. Destination: Byron Bay. Event: schoolies week. Purpose: fun.

"You're letting her go to Byron Bay?" How many people have asked this question since last month's Rex Hunt incident? When the high-profile football commentator went public about his family's fight with local Byron youths, a collective knee-jerk reaction followed.

There were anti-Byron stories. Anti-schoolies week stories. Tales of similar local-versus-tourist tensions at Noosa and the Gold Coast.

At the same time, thousands of year 12 students were trying to focus on their exams. For many, schoolies week was on the backburner. Their parents, meanwhile, pondered the potential issues facing those teenagers who had planned post-exam trips to the beaches of eastern Australia. Would our children be safe?

Rex Hunt was not the catalyst of our fears. For months, parents of my daughter's year 12 cohort have discussed the pros and cons of schoolies week. The school, also, has been proactive in tackling issues such as alcohol, clubbing, spiked drinks and personal safety.

But the post-Rex media coverage reminded everyone how easily a carefree evening, drinking, volatile behaviour, and us-and-them tensions that might arise in a seaside community could prove toxic.

What action can a parent take? We let them go. We offer advice and set rules — that's a given. But we must remember that these young people are turning 18. If, as adults, they're unprepared for potential dangers, it is our fault, not theirs. It's not the fault of the people of Byron Bay, nor of Rex Hunt, who might be accused of whipping up emotions.

If your child has survived a tough VCE and shown a commitment you admire, he or she deserves to be rewarded. It doesn't have to be a trip — it might be a big 18th birthday party, or a night at the local pub. But the gesture is justified and the children will appreciate the faith we have in them.

Will my daughter know what to do if her drink is spiked? She may be comatose, but her friends will be there and I value their decision-making abilities. If our kids are confronted by locals, as the Hunts allege they were, then I hope there will be enough lucid thinkers in the group to deactivate the situation.

Parents of 18-year-olds should also remember that if your child (a) has friends and (b) goes out on Saturday nights, they have quite probably been through these experiences before.

"We've had friends who have passed out because of drinking. We've watched our guy friends get into fights," my daughter and her friend told their mothers last week. The mums were speechless — although not to the extent that we couldn't ask: "Excuse me, when?"

"We understand what can go wrong because we've seen it before," the girls said. "You have to trust us to know what to do."

Yesterday, driving back from the airport, it occurred to me that schoolies week is a journey for parents, also. It is a key moment when we must realise — and celebrate — our children as adults. School is behind them, they will now carve their paths. The trick, now, is to chant this mantra every time you are tempted to make that phone call.

It's beer o'clock in Lorne

2005-11-20T04:06:00.000+10:00

AAP
IN PREVIOUS years, students have damaged Lorne's Norfolk pines, urinated on shop windows and broken into hotel swimming pools, but this year police are hoping the schoolies crowd will be better behaved.

The police, expecting more than 3000 school leavers in the town, are relying on undercover police, 24-hour patrols and a host of free events tailored for the teenagers to result in a calmer than usual time.

The chairman of the Lorne Business and Tourism Association, Mark Athorn, said that although some residents and businesses were getting sick of the annual schoolies crowd the community had collaborated to produce a much safer and more harmonious schoolies festival.

"As a town, we've co-ordinated the event really well," he said. "Between the Surf Coast Shire Council, Vicroads, Victoria Police and local businesses, we've had a committee who have met to come up with a much more co-ordinated approach."

Lorne businesses have been making increasingly handsome profits from the partying teens, and Mr Athorn said locals were learning to welcome the crowd.

"The schoolies are welcome, they don't usually cause much trouble," he said. "It's the 'toolies' that are the real problem. There's people about four or five years older, and some even older than that again, who come here to capitalise on the weakness of kids when they've had too much to drink. They're our biggest worry."

Sergeant Bill Matthews of Lorne police agreed. With the memory still fresh of a serious toolie assault on an 18-year-old last year, Sergeant Matthews said he was keen to ensure there would be no repeat.

"We're putting on more members than we've ever had, so we feel we've got things in place this year to prevent things that have happened previously."

A group of Colac College students said they were keen to prove school leavers were not as mischievous as people thought. "We're not here to cause trouble or damage property or anything, we just want to have a bit of fun," said Michael Neave, 18.

For him and his friends, the next three weeks are all about partying and relaxing.

"We all went out a bit after our exams, but that won't be anything on the next few weeks," he said. "It's the best time to party because we don't get our results until December 12 now, so we've got nothing to worry about at all."

In Queensland, Gold Coast police have warned they will crack down heavily on drug traffickers during schoolies week.

Superintendent Brett Pointing said the primary focus would be to stop drugs being sold to the 50,000 school leavers expected to visit the tourist strip in the next two weeks.

A man in possession of six ecstasy tablets was among 39 people arrested. Forty-one charges were laid but none against school leavers.

Superintendent Pointing said: "Police will be working very hard to ensure that drugs are not sold or made available to schoolies. We'll also be continuing our crackdown on public intoxication and false IDs."

Police last week seized drugs and weapons in raids on the Lone Wolves motorcycle club at Currumbin and elsewhere on the Gold Coast and northern NSW.

T-shirts with the slogan "Party safe: don't graduate with a criminal record" were to be distributed to about 500 school leavers last night.

'Mature' police Schoolies approach

2005-11-20T04:04:00.000+10:00

AAP - 19nov05

QUEENSLAND Police Minister Judy Spence said tonight she was confident police would not go "over the top" in dealing with rowdy schoolies on the Gold Coast.

Mrs Spence tonight visited Surfers Paradise, where up to 30,000 people are expected to celebrate the second – and biggest night – of Schoolies Week.
"The police have been told to use their discretion," Mrs Spence said.

"They appreciate that these are young people and they're mostly out here to have a good time.

"They don't want the young people to end their schoolies with a criminal record."

Mrs Spence said police had instructions to deal with schoolies in a "mature fashion".

"I don't think you're going to see any over the top behaviour from police," she added.

"They know that their actions are being watched by the media and other people.

"The police officers themselves have children and they deal with young people all the time.

"They just want to make sure these young people are safe."

Event organisers are hoping for a repeat of last night, when only 39 people were arrested, none of them schoolies.

Every year, police send out the message that gatecrashers to the party – older people known as 'toolies' – are not welcome in the Surfers Paradise precinct.

"We've faced up to the fact that older people are going to want to mix with the schoolies and get up to no good but the police are very aware of that," Spence said.

Queensland police assistant commissioner David Melville, overseeing his fifth Schoolies, said he believed the behaviour of the youngsters was improving every year.

"They were excellent last evening although, admittedly, there were only 1,000 down here but so far the feeling is better than in previous years," he said.

Mrs Spence spoke to the media from the safety of an overhead bridge tonight following an incident last year when she was caught in a crush from a crowd surge in Cavill Avenue mall from schoolies trying to get on TV news cameras.

More Schoolie beach patrols

2005-11-19T17:35:00.000+10:00

Sunshine Coast Daily - 19.11.2005

SURF life saving patrols will be increased to cope with both an expected influx of Schoolies Week beachgoers and daily tidal rips next week.

At least 1500 teenagers are expected to descend upon the Coast to celebrate the end of their secondary schooling and Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) will expand its services to help protect the influx of beachgoers.

Sunshine Coast co-ordinator Byron Mills said while the Coast did not attract nearly as many Schoolies as the Gold Coast, an increased lifesaving presence was still warranted here.

“We are putting on an extra two jet skis to patrol outside the flagged areas from Caloundra to Coolum,” he said.

“Generally Schoolies on the Coast are well-behaved and most of them swim between the flags anyway.
“We are hoping for another safe and incident-free week, just like last year.”

Mr Mills said forecasts were for unpredictable tides that could cause rips.

“The tide times are favourable for rips to be forming around lunchtime all through the week,” he said.

“We have considered those tides and felt there is a higher risk. So if someone does go swimming outside the flags, they are likely to get into trouble.”

SLSQ has asked Schoolies to remember not to swim at night or in unpatrolled areas, not to swim or surf alone or under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

“Stick to a populated area and take a friend with you when you go swimming,” Mr Mills said.

Schoolies 2005

2005-11-19T17:32:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 19Nov05

SCHOOLIES has begun, with the first trickle of 50,000 school leavers arriving in Surfers Paradise last night for what has become as much a party as a rite of passage.

This week, after 17 years of living at home and 12 years of schooling, these adolescents make their first foray into adulthood.

They will cook for themselves, flat with mates, possibly find love, and leave with lifelong memories.

They will also most probably drink alcohol for some their first time and might even be tempted by drugs. It will be up to them to take responsibility for their actions.

St Stephens College friends Ashlee Stokes, Fiona Murray, Georgie Fulton and Stefanie Jory have grown up on the Coast to watch the Schoolies Festival become the ultimate school-leavers' gig, unable to take part until now.

"I'm so excited, it's actually our Schoolies this time," said Stefanie.

"(In previous years) we'd come in to Surfers, but then you'd have to go home after a couple of hours."

Ashlee said: "It's just going to be cool to hang out with your friends in an apartment for a week.

"We're not going to go to the beach every day, I think one of our friends has organised for us to go on a barbecue cruise."

The girls have paid up to $650 each for accommodation in Surfers, excluding $110 bonds, even though they have comfortable beds and stocked pantries at home. They have budgeted $150 on food over the week, and have brought with them $500 to spend.

Georgie said: "To get the feeling of it, you've really got to be in Surfers and get your own apartment instead of going home."

Leading up to this week, the girls have been briefed by social workers, police and the State Government on the dangers of Schoolies.

Authorities have heavily promoted the 'buddy system', in which schoolies link up to eliminate the chance of being singled out by predators.

Georgie said: "We've just been told to stick together, and we've been warned about the dangers of drink spiking.

"If you're a girl on your own, you can run into trouble, and if you're a guy on your own, you can get beaten up. The main thing is just to stick with someone."

Paula Stokes, Ashlee's mum, said she trusted her daughter, but was wary of what could happen.

Mrs Stokes said Ashlee had grown up quickly in the past fortnight, finishing school, gaining a driver's licence and a hair-dressing apprenticeship, and going to Schoolies.

"I wouldn't be a good mum if I didn't worry, but I trust her judgment," she said.

"I'm more concerned about what happens with the other kids, with drink spiking and big crowds.

"Ashlee has been into Surfers plenty of times, but it's a worry with the big group of kids who haven't been there before.

"I've told Ashlee she has to have her phone on her at all times, and I have to be on speed dial. I've given her numbers of all her cousins and other people to call."

In the inaugural year of the joint partnership between Gold Coast City Council and the Queensland Government, Community Services Minister Warren Pitt said Schoolies would never be incident-free.

"Let's be practical when you have huge numbers of people together, whether it be at a rugby game, a cricket game or a rock concert, irrespective of age, there can be accidents," said Mr Pitt.

"I'd encourage young people to heed the warning signs," he said."We all know there is going to be some alcohol associated with this event."

The Queensland Government has adopted the slogan, 'Celebrate, but watch your mates', this year.

"There's a role for the State Government at Schoolies, but, importantly, this is a Gold Coast event, and the Gold Coast community should want to have involvement," said Mr Pitt. "But if anyone thinks the State Government is drawing back from the event, they're sadly mistaken.

"This is the third successive year the State Government has been involved and we're committing extensive resources.

"The State Government and its partners take Schoolies very seriously this is a rite of passage.

"There will be extra police on the Gold Coast beat, similar to the record numbers of last year, sourced from general duties and specialist squads from southeast Queensland, the Darling Downs and metropolitan Brisbane."

Mr Pitt paid credit to the Queensland Police Service raid on a motorcycle club this week that netted a stockpile of drugs that could have made its way to the event.

"You'll always have these people who think they can take advantage of an event like this," he said.

"But our police are on the ball and have been doing intelligence all year round."

Almost 1400 volunteers will be in the precinct this year.

Each volunteer has been trained and signed a code of conduct, and has a blue card to show they have undergone a criminal history check.

There will also be additional paramedics, ambulance officers and State Emergency Service volunteers.

Drug Arm Australasia will operate two recharge zones near the two live entertainment stages on the beach for schoolies to rest, rehydrate and talk to someone if they need help.

There will be daytime diversionary activities for registered schoolies that include DJ workshops and surfing, which has been a tactic to tire schoolies.

At night, there will be live bands, DJs and movies.

Schoolies event co-ordinator Surfers Paradise Management announced popular energy drink Red Bull as a major sponsor for the event.

Police get tough on Schoolies dealers

2005-11-19T17:24:00.000+10:00

AAP - November 19, 2005

GOLD Coast police have warned they will crack down heavily on drug traffickers during Schoolies Week after the arrest of a man for ecstasy possession as festivities opened.

Superintendent Brett Pointing said today the police's primary focus during the celebrations would be to stop drugs being sold to the 50,000 school leavers expected to visit the tourist strip over the next two weeks.
A man in possession of six ecstasy tablets was one of 39 people arrested on 41 charges last night, although none of them were schoolies.

"We'll be focusing on a number of issues," said Supt Pointing as police prepared for a hectic weekend.

"In particular police will be working very hard to ensure that drugs are not sold or made available to schoolies.

"We will have a very strong police contingent in the schoolies precinct focusing on that issue.

"We'll also be continuing our crackdown on public intoxication and false IDs."
Police found five false IDs last night.

"It was a run of the mill night with no schoolies arrested, which was the same as last year," Supt Pointing said.

"Of course today is the day when the masses arrive."

About 150 police this week seized large quantities of drugs, guns and weapons during raids on the Lone Wolves motorcycle club in Currumbin and other properties on the southern Gold Coast and northern NSW.

Supt Pointing said the success of Operation Howl sent a clear message to drug dealers.

"If you're going to try and pedal drugs during schoolies, you're going to face a large police contingent who are very committed to getting them off the street," he said.

Supt Pointing also said police would be watchful of sexual predators after a man was issued with a warning yesterday for photographing young girls.

"Police will be very vigilant during Schoolies in checking the bona fides of any person interacting with schoolies or behaving inappropriately," he said.

Anyone caught taking inappropriate photographs could face a public nuisance charge.

"If the nature of the images fall into another category then potentially there's offences under the criminal code," Supt Pointing said.

About 500 T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan "Party safe: don't graduate with a criminal record" will be distributed to schoolies tonight.

39 arrests as schoolies' celebrations begin

2005-11-19T17:23:00.000+10:00

ABC Online
Queensland Police say they arrested 39 people in the Surfers Paradise area of the Gold Coast overnight where schoolies' celebrations officially began.

However, they say none of the people arrested were recent high school graduates.

Most of the arrests were for public nuisance and drunkenness-related offences.

There were also 27 fines issued for drinking in a public place.

Celebrations are expected to be in full swing tonight, with crowd numbers tipped to swell considerably in Surfers Paradise as many schoolies check in to accommodation houses today.

More than 9,000 school leavers have already registered for the event online and organisers are encouraging all schoolies to register.

SES volunteers are working with ambulance paramedics to help schoolies who may be injured or ill.

SES Gold Coast controller Peter Linnell says he has no trouble finding volunteers.

"I have no shortage of people wanting to come down here, they just love it, they love the interaction with the kids and the SES is accepted," he said.

There is a strong police presence and a number of young people had alcohol confiscated and emptied out last night.

Schoolies play it cool

2005-11-19T17:21:00.000+10:00

Townsville Bulletin - 19nov05
CHILL out mums and dads - schoolies isn't all bad.

That's the message QUT public health lecturer Associate Professor Don Stewart is sending out in the lead up to the Year 12s big week.

While police plan and parents quake, Professor Stewart said parent should relax, and let their kids enjoy the festival young people had invented to mark the end of a critical chapter in their lives.

While relaxing as your child goes about undoing 17 years of fine parenting in just one week may seem like an impossible task, some extra safety precautions are in place to keep school leavers safe in Townsville.

Lifesaving services on Magnetic Island have been extended for the duration of Schoolies Week.

The Townsville City Council implemented the extra life-guards after the Alma Bay parklands were approved as this year's base camp.

About 1200 students from the Townsville region are expected to converge on the island for a week of partying.

Cr Jenny Hill said the extra life-guards would help create a safe environment where students could celebrate.

"The council's youth staff will be working very closely with Queensland Police Service to ensure Schoolies Week is well managed and safe for all of the teenagers involved," Cr Hill said.

She said voluntary lifesavers would patrol Alma Bay beach today and tomorrow, before Surf Life Saving Queensland takes over from Monday, November 21 until Saturday, November 26.

The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS) is also working to keep teens safe, yesterday urging motorists driving in party zones to be particularly vigilant this weekend.

"Pedestrians being struck 'drink-walking' is a real problem in inner-city areas and with schoolies commencing, paramedics are reminding motorists that partygoers can step on the road from anywhere, and without notice," QAS Commissioner Jim Higgins said.

He said every motorist should take extra care this weekend as school leavers let their hair down.

"While Schoolies Week can be a testing time for parents, they should remember it's a major event in their child's life that helps build connectedness, a sense of belonging, self-esteem and acceptance of moving into a new stage of life," Professor Stewart said.

"Schoolies Week is a well earned reward for a decade or more of assessment, reports, revision, assignments, tests and worry about grades.

"Studies from around the world show that school life in many education systems can actually be 'unhealthy' and that the anxiety and stress they produce could contribute to the rise of depression in many countries.

"If we look at it from a school leaver's point of view, 'schoolies' is a celebration of success -- they've lasted the distance, survived the pressure and successfully completed their school career.

"These feelings combined with that sense of success are important buffers against depression and anxiety disorders."

Professor Stewart said the typical schoolie had planned, budgeted for and organised their Schoolies Week arrangements more than a year in advance.

AFP get Schoolies Duty

2005-11-19T17:18:00.000+10:00

[note from editor - this is BS, AFP were there last year]
AAP
AUSTRALIAN Federal Police will be on duty for the first time at Schoolies Week on the Gold Coast to guard teenagers from potential terrorist attacks.

In the wake of the Bali bombings and the alleged terrorist plots in Sydney and Melbourne, officials are taking no chances.

Senior police sources confirmed federal agents would work with a record Queensland police presence of more than 1000 officers and 1400 volunteers this week to protect the 50,000 teenagers.

Federal police will staff an operations centre with state police.

But Communities Minister Warren Pitt conceded the safety of teenagers could not be guaranteed.

"Parents, anyone associated with children, know things can go wrong," Mr Pitt said.

"All government agencies can do is their utmost. You cannot . . . guarantee perfection. When you get a large number of people that are attending a rugby union match or a cricket match or a rock concert or Schoolies, there is always the potential for something to go wrong."

Young revellers began pouring into Surfers Paradise yesterday for the rite-of-passage party.

Gold Coast police superintendent Brett Pointing said it would be inappropriate to divulge officer numbers.

"There are critics who say the police presence is too oppressive but you can't put an old head on young shoulders," he said. "I'm sure there are 50,000 sets of parents or guardians who appreciate the fact we're trying to ensure their kids have a safe and enjoyable Schoolies experience."

Up to 500 uniformed and plain-clothes officers will be on the streets of Surfers Paradise looking for troublemakers, including sexual predators and drug dealers.

Police will give away T-shirts with slogans urging school-leavers to "look after your mates".

Supt Pointing said police would crack down on drink-driving as Drug Arm figures showed many teens were getting into cars with drivers who were intoxicated. About 1200 tickets were issued for underage drinking and drink-driving at last year's Schoolies. Supt Pointing warned fines of up to $1875 could be issued if underage drinkers were staying at licensed premises.

Surfers Paradise Management chairman Graeme Downie said traders lost business during Schoolies as the area became a no-go zone.

"Why would people want to come into Surfers Paradise when its full of school kids?" he asked.

"That's the negative side. But the positive is if these kids are well-behaved and they have a good experience then they're not going to do too much damage to the town or themselves. And they are our customers of the future."

Melbourne school-leavers Holly Corns and Sally Rosen, both 18, said the police presence made them feel secure. "There's always dangers but we're pretty sensible girls so we'll be all right," Holly said.

Sally said many of her friends were celebrating Schoolies at Byron Bay because they thought the Coast was "too dangerous".

"I reckon it's fine. There's heaps of police so you feel pretty safe."

Youth wasted on the young getting wasted

2005-11-19T17:16:00.000+10:00

The Australian - November 19, 2005
IF only Oscar Wilde had gone to Schoolies Week - for surely he would never have said that youth was wasted on the young.

Surveying the heady mix of sun, surf and freedom for the 50,000 high school graduates on the Gold Coast it would have been only logical to conclude that youth was in fact best left to the young.

By yesterday there was an endless parade of teenagers moving cartons of Corona and bottles of tequila in preparation for the week-long celebration.

"Everyone does different things at Schoolies," Stefanie Jory, 17, said yesterday.

The Gold Coast local and her school friends from St Stephen's College at Coomera have witnessed Schoolies in years past and were wise to the pitfalls.

The girls said they planned to drink "a lot" and, secondly, to avoid Cavill Avenue at Surfers Paradise, the main gathering point.

"I'd like to go to my friends' apartments and hang out with them and have, like, apartment parties or whatever, but the whole Cavill thing I think I'll get over really early," Ashlee Stokes, 17 said.

Ms Jory said: "It's because we live here. We've been in to Cavill so much, the beach is all right but in Cavill there's nothing to do but stand around and it gets really crowded."

Organisers expect more than 30,000 Queensland schoolies to check in to apartments today at the Gold Coast, followed by 20,000 Schoolies from interstate next weekend.

The girls said the celebration was an opportunity to have fun and to consolidate their friendships before parting ways next year as they pursued different interests.

Schoolies' reputation as being hoons and louts was unfair, said Fiona Murray, 18. "Some people when they're really drunk think they can fly off balconies and they give us a bad name," she said.

The event has become steadily more regulated since it began in the 80s with the Gold Coast City Council, the Queensland state Government and more than 1300 volunteers from a coalition of charities - including Drug Arm, Australian Red Cross, the Scouts and St Vincent de Paul - providing "support" for the partying school-leavers. Schoolies this year were encouraged to register with organisers to receive an official identification wrist band, a diary of activities which include bands and sporting events, and free meals.

But not every senior student will celebrate their graduation by indulging in a week of partying near a beach.

A group of nine from Mt Maria College in Brisbane will leave for East Timor on Monday morning, where they will do volunteer work with school children.

Louise McGrogan, 17, of Everton Park said the 12-day trip would be an alternative to Schoolies which involved contributing to the community. "Spending a week where you can't remember a thing isn't my idea of celebrating," she said.

"My older brother went to Schoolies and it just turned me right off it - he could remember five consecutive minutes of the entire week. I just saw that and thought, 'that's a whole week of my life, it's not worth it'."

Testing time to party time

2005-11-19T17:14:00.000+10:00

The Age - November 19, 2005

THIRTEEN years of school are over for Victoria's year 12 students after VCE and vocational exams finished yesterday.

Environmental science was the last VCE exam, and at 10.45am the 306 enrolled students were finally able to join end-of-exams celebrations.

Students at Mill Park Secondary College were among those who spent the past week studying while most of their friends entered party mode.

"Having the exam on the last possible day was a bit of a downer, because most people want to get it over and done with," Jess McDonald, 18, said.

But the students did have more time to study. Alyce Davies had the luxury of a week-and-a-half between her final two exams.

The 18-year-old said she managed to join some of the celebrations with friends who had completed exams.

"I really shouldn't have," she said. "But I didn't really have to study straight away because I had so much time."

Jason Zammit said he felt "free" after the exam, while Julijana Ristovska was simply "rapt". "I'm just looking forward to relaxing and not having to get up early," she said.

"It's like a mixture of everything. You're sad that you are going to miss the people, but happy that you can move on with your life."

Students doing the Vocational Education and Training subjects of music industry and laboratory skills also finished their exams yesterday — the last day of the three-week written exam period.

This year, 79,000 students sat at least one VCE examination. Results are out on December 12.

In the meantime, thousands of students are expected to head to popular "schoolies" destinations, including Queensland's Gold Coast and Victorian beach resorts Lorne and Torquay.

Jess and Alyce are going to Queensland "schoolies" in a couple of weeks, but are unconcerned about its reputation for drunkenness and danger.

"I thought about it, but I'm not into any of that, we're just going to have fun," Jess said.

Police encourage safety for upcoming schoolies week

2005-11-19T17:12:00.000+10:00

Ballarat Courier - Friday, 18 November 2005

GET home safe and don't have any regrets is the message from Ballarat Police Senior Sergeant Gary Pilmore as schoolies week starts next week.
Sen Sgt Pilmore is encouraging Year 12 students to look after themselves and their friends during schoolies week.

"We understand schoolies week is a traditional event for school-leavers and we hope to provide advice and encouragement to students to behave responsibly and make a fun and safe event for all," he said.

Sen Sgt Pilmore said students were typically able to legally drink and hold a driver's licence, but warned anyone caught breaking the law would face penalties.

Information cards containing emergency contact numbers and tips and advice are now available at the Ballarat Police station.

Schoolies cards will be distributed to all secondary schools across the state, but will be available at police stations for those who missed out or misplaced their cards.

"They are intended as a precaution, and we hope no student will have to use any of the emergency contact numbers," he said.

"However, in the event of an emergency, we want students to know where to get help."

Schoolies suspected of vandalism

2005-11-19T17:10:00.000+10:00

AAP - 18nov05

SCHOOL leavers are suspected of trying to set fire to a church after vandalising the Redbank Plains building, on Brisbane's western outskirts.

Ten school leavers from a Redbank Plains high school are suspected of vandalising a local Presbyterian church, a skate bowl and a school at 1pm (AEST) today, police said.
Witnesses said a group of boys and girls tried to set the church in Redbank Plains School Road alight after vandalising its interior and an adjoining shed with paint.

Four of the teenagers were taken to the Goodna Police Station after police questioned dozens of school leavers and checked their hands and feet for paint.

Police said they were still searching for other graduates suspected of causing the damage.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of schoolies have started arriving on the Gold Coast for end of school celebrations.

Schoolies squad to master louts

2005-11-18T15:06:00.000+10:00

Gold Coast Bulletin - 18Nov05

POLICE will ride city buses and trains travelling from Brisbane tonight to net trouble-making former schoolies heading to Australia's biggest end-of-school celebration.

The first of Queensland's schoolies will descend on Surfers Paradise today, with most arriving tomorrow.

Former school leavers, dubbed 'toolies', have caused problems in other years.

Schoolies police co-ordinator Inspector Jeff James said police would roam entry points to Surfers Paradise to stop potential troublemakers.

"We'll be riding trains, targeting the buses and bus stops, looking for people consuming liquor on their way there," said Insp James.

"We'll be identifying those who are intoxicated, who might be going in there to start trouble," he said.

"Certainly the figures have shown that 75 per cent of the problems from previous years have been caused by non-schoolies.

"We'll be in significant numbers as we have been in the previous two years, and certainly a good number of the police have had experience at Schoolies, or in crowd management.

"We'll be heavily targeting consumption of alcohol in public places.

"We want these troublemakers to know unlawful behaviour won't be tolerated.

"We've duplicated the procedures from last year, which was refined from 2003."

The police contingent at Schoolies will outnumber that of Indy, one of the Gold Coast's signature events.

After the 2002 event was marred by violence, the Queensland Police Service moulded a Schoolies strategy that won a National Crime Prevention Award.