THE STORIES THAT WERE BIG IN AUSTRALIA IN 2017 Part two of two
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BOURKE STREET RAMPAGE
Six people died and dozens of others were seriously injured when a car ploughed through crowds in Melbourne's busy Bourke Street Mall in January. Among the dead were three-month old Zachary Bryant, 10-year-old schoolgirl Thalia Hakin, and Japanese student Yosuke Kanno, 25. In total, 27 people were injured and 25 hospitalised when Dimitrious Gargasoulas allegedly drove through the crowded shopping strip at lunchtime before being shot and wounded by police. The 27-year-old faces six counts of murder and 28 charges of attempted murder. Several good Samaritans who rushed to help the injured honoured with Community Hero awards in November.
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THE NORTH KOREA THREAT
A series of ballistic missile tests by North Korea throughout the year sparked fears that one could be aimed at Australia in the near future. An extraordinary war of words erupted between Canberra and Pyongyang, which included a threat of nuclear retaliation after Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the rogue nation would be subject to further trade sanctions. Pyongyang said Ms Bishop had "better think twice" about the consequences of her "reckless tongue-lashing". Former prime ministers Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott suggested Australia consider deploying a missile defence system to defend against attack from a nuclear-armed North Korea. But so far Malcolm Turnbull has downplayed the need for one, saying the key to resolving the crisis is for the world to heap economic pressure on North Korea using tough trade sanctions.
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CYCLONE DEBBIE
The category 4 severe tropical cyclone wreaked billions of dollars worth of damage when it hit popular Whitsunday tourist resorts before making landfall near Airlie Beach in Queensland's north on March 28. Fourteen people died as a result of Debbie, making it Australia's most deadly cyclone since Cyclone Tracy in 1974. With Debbie's wind gusts reaching 260km/h, trees were snapped and roofing iron tumbled down streets while more than 48,000 homes were blacked out across the Bowen, Mackay and Whitsunday regions. Wind damage and flooding also extended into northern NSW. By November, insurance losses had surpassed $1.5 billion after thousands of businesses and homeowners lodged damage claims.
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ATO DEPUTY COMMISSIONER ARRESTED
Deputy tax commissioner Michael Cranston was suspended and later resigned after being caught up in what police believe is one of Australia's biggest white-collar frauds. Cranston and two of his children, Adam, 30, and Lauren, 24, were among 10 people arrested after federal police raided 28 homes and businesses in May following an investigation into a $144 million fraud involving a syndicate of companies, straw directors and bank accounts. Police allege the younger Cranstons were part of a syndicate that stole from taxpayers to fund their lavish lifestyles. The alleged scam involved accepting legitimate payroll claims through Plutus Payroll which funnelled them to second-tier companies, rorting millions from the commonwealth by withholding PAYG tax. While it's not suggested the deputy tax commissioner had knowledge of or involvement in the syndicate, he has been accused of unwittingly assisting it by providing information to his son, who owned Plutus.
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DETENTION DRAMAS
Six hundred refugees and asylum seekers remain in limbo on Manus Island. Australia's detention centre on Manus was shut in November, with the men moved into other accommodation 20km away after PNG's Supreme Court ruled their detention was illegal. Most of the men fought against their relocation for three weeks by refusing to leave the centre until PNG police armed with batons forced them out. While New Zealand has offered to take 150 of the men, the federal government has declined the offer. It is instead hoping the US will take up to 1250 people from Manus and Australia's other detention centre on Nauru under a resettlement deal stuck with former president Barack Obama. Meanwhile, about 1700 former Manus detainees were awarded $70 million compensation after settling a legal case against the Australian government and Manus centre operators in June. Most of the compensation was for false imprisonment.
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THE THRILL OF SPORTING VICTORY
Perennial underachievers Richmond finally gave the black and gold army something to smile about, ending their 37-year wait for an AFL flag. Backing up Western Bulldogs' unlikely run to the 2016 title, the Tigers provided the AFL with yet another fairytale finish - and a new hero in the form of Dustin Martin. His Brownlow Medal was reward for a dominant campaign, his unprecedented double with the Norm Smith Medal confirmation of his greatness. While the AFL was all about one man, the NRL was about three - Melbourne teammates Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith. Playing their final season together, the 'Big Three' won every accolade the game had to offer. Their premiership win over an undermanned North Queensland capped a commanding year in which the Storm lost only four games, Smith claiming a second Dally M Medal - a record-breaking 11 years after winning his first.
