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Yorke Peninsula Media, Minlaton (2026)

23/08/2026

HOW MANY DRUNK DRIVERS DOES IT TAKE TO FILL A PADDY WAGON

That could be the question that has no answer especially with drunk drivers in the Copper Coast.

A man has lost his licence and car after being stopped by police on Friday afternoon and blew over the limit.

Just after 3.30pm on Friday 21 August, police were conducting patrols at the intersection of Morphett Terrace and Bews Terrace, at Jericho near Wallaroo Mines when they observed a Holden sedan travelling at speed and fish tailing on a dirt road.

Police attempted to stop the driver however the car continued until it stopped at a nearby residential address.

The driver, an 18-year-old local man and P2 provisional licence holder underwent a driver test and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.138.

Police will further allege there was a 17-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl travelling as passengers in the car at the time.

He was reported for drink driving, issued with a six month immediate loss of licence notice and his car was impounded for 28 days.

He will be summoned to appear in court at a later date.

And then overnight two drink drivers were caught by Kadina police.

Just after midnight on Sunday 23 August, patrols were on Chapple Street at Moonta Bay when they stopped a grey Toyota ute and submitted the driver to a breath test.

The 28-year-old local man allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.075 and further checks revealed he was disqualified from holding a drivers licence.

He was reported for drink driving and driving with a disqualified licence.

Just after 3am, patrols were on the Spencer Highway at Wallaroo and stopped a Silver Toyota ute and breath tested the 30-year-old driver.

He allegedly returned a positive result of 0.088 and was reported for drink driving and issued a 6 month loss of licence.

Both men will be summonsed to appear in the Magistrates Court at a later date.

16/08/2026

THEY BLOW BIG AT WALLAROO

A drink driver at Wallaroo blew more than five times the limit when stopped by police overnight.

Just after 12.30am on Sunday 16 August, police stopped a black Volkswagen ute on Heritage Drive, Wallaroo for a mobile driver test.

The driver, a 41-year-old Wallaroo man, recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.258.

Police checks revealed he was also disqualified from driving.

He was reported for drink driving and driving while disqualified, as well as given a further 12-month loss of licence.

His car was impounded for 28 days, and he will be summonsed to appear in the Kadina Magistrates Court at a later date.

16/08/2026

DRUG DRIVER DONE AT NEW TOWN

A driver tested positive to drugs when stopped at New Town on Friday evening.

Police stopped a vehicle on Tucker Road, New Town for a mobile driver test about 5.30pm on Friday 14 August.

The driver, a 51-year-old Kadina man, tested positive to both methamphetamine and cannabis.

The sample was sent for forensic analysis.

Police checks revealed he was also wanted for breaching an intervention order and breach of bail and he was arrested and charged.

He was refused police bail and will face court on Monday.

14/08/2026

SIGNIFICANT POWER OUTAGES PLANNED FOR YORKE PENINSULA IN SEPTEMBER

As part of a major $10 million dollars upgrade to SA Power Networks insulators, Yorke Peninsula towns will experience 2 overnight outages.

Power Networks says over the summers of 2024/25 and 2025/26, insulator pollution caused widespread outages across parts of the Yorke Peninsula, Eyre Peninsula, the Limestone Coast, Lower Murray and Kangaroo Island.

"The impact on communities was acute and far-reaching, and the level of reliability experienced by impacted regions has not been acceptable," it says.

"In early 2026, a dedicated taskforce was established to investigate the underlying causes, trial new technologies, and determine how to significantly reduce future impacts on customers.

"Addressing the insulator pollution issue is our top organisational priority.

"There is over 25,000 hours of work planned as part of the program — one of the most significant workforce mobilisations SA Power Networks has ever undertaken," the company says.

Insulator pollution is a weather-driven, system-wide reliability issue.

Insulators are essential components of the power grid that support and isolate electrical conductors.

They are designed to prevent electricity from flowing to the ground.

Over time, particularly during prolonged dry periods without washing rains, insulators – especially in rural and coastal areas - can become coated with dirt, salt, or other contaminants.

Power Networks says when combined with moisture such as dew, mist, light rain or high humidity, this pollution build-up can create a conductive path along the surface of the insulator.

"This can reduce the insulating performance of the equipment, allowing electricity to track across the surface and trigger outages.

The planned overnight outages for Yorke Peninsula will happen on September the 8th and 10th North of Minlaton to Agery including Maitland, Port Victoria and Arthurton and the towns of Port Rickaby, Koolywurtie, Urania, Point Pearce, Chinaman Wells, Balgowan, Arthurton, Petersville and surrounding rural areas.

07/08/2026

SHED GUTTED BY FIRE AT STANSBURY

Yesterday afternoon at around 2pm, CFS volunteer firefighters responded to a shed fire at Stansbury on the Yorke Peninsula.

Around 10 volunteers on 2 trucks and a command vehicle attended the property and found a 6x12 metre shed fully involved in fire.

Firefighters contained the fire to the shed which was storing furniture and cleaning products.

Unfortunately, the shed and its contents were a total loss with damages estimated at $90,000.

Crews remained on scene to monitor for hotspots and ensure the fire was fully extinguished.

SA Police provided support and Fire Investigators were notified.

02/08/2026

FIRST HELIUM FLOWS ON AUSTRALIAN SOIL SINCE 2023

Gold Hydrogen has successfully tested the flow of Helium from its Ramsay 1 well between Port Vincent and Minlaton on Yorke Peninsula during the past week.

It is the first helium to flow in Australia since the country's last remaining well closed in Darwin in 2023.

The test flow which filled on site gas bottles and a helium balloon comes at a time when there is a major shortage of Helium world wide following an Iranian missile attack on the Qatar Ras Laffan plant in March.

Gold Hydrogen Managing Director, Neil McDonald said the next stage of testing is underway where gas volume and ease of extraction will be assessed with the results used in developing any potential commercial pilot project possibly within 18 months.

Gold Hydrogen's exploratory Ramsay Project covers a 75,000-square-kilometre tenement on the Yorke Peninsula, where natural hydrogen was first discovered in the 1920s and 1930s.

Helium is used in the production of mobile phones, computers, electronics and is used in the building of submarines.

31/07/2026

NEAR MISS AT LOCHIEL

A man has been reported for dangerous driving on the Augusta Highway following an investigation into an incident earlier this month.

About 7am on Thursday 16 July, an Isuzu utility was captured on dashcam nearly causing a head-on collision with another vehicle while overtaking a road train on the Augusta Highway, near Lochiel.

Following investigations by Barossa Highway Patrol, the alleged driver, a 33-year-old Gawler man, was reported yesterday for driving at a manner dangerous to the public.

He will be summonsed to appear in court at a later date.

Police say this incident serves as a reminder that all road users have a responsibility to help keep South Australian roads safe.

"Make sure you have clear visibility and don’t take unnecessary risks when overtaking a heavy vehicle.

"This incident could easily have caused a multi-vehicle crash and potentially cost lives," police said.

24/07/2026

FRASER ELLIS LOSES HIS APPEAL AGAINST DECEPTION CHARGES

Former member for Narungga Fraser Ellis has lost an appeal against his four convictions over deception offences.

He has been convicted of three extra charges after failing to clear his name.

His sentencing hearings will start in September.

So he now stands convicted of seven counts of deception after failing to have his original four thrown out by South Australia's highest court.

He was convicted by the Adelaide Magistrates Court of four counts of deception in 2024, relating to his misuse of the Country Members Allowance.

The allowance is available to Members of Parliament whose usual place of residence is more than 75 kilometres from Adelaide, and who are required to travel for parliamentary duties.

He was acquitted of a further 19 counts.

However, this week three of those acquittals were set aside by the state's Court of Appeal and replaced with convictions.

This came after the Director of Public Prosecutions filed an appeal against the 19 acquittals.

Ellis also filed an appeal against his four original convictions but that was dismissed.

The former Liberal-turned-independent was one of two MPs, alongside Troy Bell, who were charged over their use of the allowance.

Ellis previously admitted to making mistakes when recording the time he had spent in Adelaide but denied they were made intentionally.

The offence of deception carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.

20/07/2026

' GHOST PATROL' CATCHES DRINK DRIVER IN MOONTA BAY.

A driver has lost her licence for a year after she was caught drink-driving in Moonta Bay.

Just before 9.40pm on Sunday 19 July, officers from the Yorke Mid North Highway Patrol were called to Coast Road after reports that a blue MG sedan had left the road and became stuck on an embankment.

The driver, a 62-year-old local woman underwent a breath test and returned a positive reading of 0.172.

She was reported for driving without due care and drink-driving.

She was issued a 12-month immediate loss of licence notice and her vehicle was impounded for 28 days.

She will be summonsed to attend the Kadina Magistrates Court at a later date.

20/07/2026

THE DRUNKS WERE OUT ON THE YORKE PENINSULA

Police have detected three drink drivers over the weekend on Yorke Peninsula.

At about 9.16am on Saturday 18 July, police will allege on Forster Street KADINA, a 33-year-old man from Birkenhead was stopped for a mobile driver test.

Police will allege he returned a positive result of 0.072.

The man was reported for drink driving and will be summonsed to appear in the Kadina Magistrates Court.

About 8.20 pm on Saturday 18 July, police stopped a Toyota 4WD on South Coast Road Marion Bay.

It will be alleged the driver a 40-year-old man from Huntfield Heights returned a positive result of 0.104.

He was reported for drink driving and issued a six-month instant loss of licence notice.

He will be summonsed to appear in the Magistrates Court at a later date.

Just before 10pm on Saturday 18 July, police stopped a Ford utility on Osprey Drive Marion Bay for the purpose of a driver test.

I will be alleged the driver a 47-year-old local man returned a positive result of 0.180.

He was reported for driving under the influence and drink driving.

He was issued with a 12-month instant licence notice.

He will be summonsed to appear court at a later date.

Yorke Peninsula Media

23/08/2026

16/08/2026

16/08/2026

14/08/2026

07/08/2026

02/08/2026

31/07/2026

24/07/2026

20/07/2026

20/07/2026

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