Thursday 28 March 2013

Established Hunter areas missing out on NBN

Many established Hunter areas like Cessnock and Port Stephens will be facing a long wait or missing out entirely when the Federal Government begins rolling out its National Broadband Network.

Paterson MP, Bob Baldwin argues theextensive use of optical fibres in the broadband network plan is unnecessary.

He believes Novocastrians would be better served by a plan incorporating both high-speed wireless and optical fibres, allowing more areas to be included in the roll out.

Construction of the $37 billion dollar project will begin next year.

Fullerton Residents await CSG decision

Fullerton Cove Residents are still waiting for this afternoon's decision from the Land Environment Court about DART Energy's coal seam gas exploration.

The Fullerton Cove Resident's Group have been in a court battle with DART Energy for six months, they want an Environmental Impact Study to be conducted before drilling begins on ground water.

Group President, Lindsay Clout believes the court needs to rule in favour of Fullerton Residents because of State and Federal Government regulations established during their court process.

Water sharing and banking could mean $30 million dollar bill for Newcastle

A potential water banking and sharing system could see Newcastle foot the bill for a 30 million dollar upgrade to the pipeline between dams in the Lower Hunter and Central Coast.

The system is likely to form part of a new drought-proofing plan and would mean water could be pumped back and forth between the two regions in times of drought.

Greens MP, John Kaye says the Greens would support such a system because of its benefits to both regions and the environment, he believes it  is cost effective in comparison past plans like the Tillegra Dam and desalination plants.

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Home Invasion at Singleton

A 62-year-old man has been subject to a violent confrontation after being threatened by a group of armed men during a home invasion at Singleton.

The 4 masked males were wielding baseball bats when they forced their way into the Buchan Avenue home at around 9:30 last night.

Police say the man was forced to surrender both his wallet and phone but was unharmed.

The perpetrators are described as being aged between 15 and 20 and were last seen running through Apex Park.
 

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Gallery redevelopment plans on the backburner

Newcastle City Council finances are putting a hold on gallery redevelopment plans as Lord Mayor, Jeff McCloy, remains reluctant to ask for missing funds from the State Government.
 
They are waiting on $7 million in federal grants to join the $14 million already set aside for the ambitious project.
 
However, it seems the Council may have gotten cold feet, citing their dire financial situation as the primary cause of delay.
 
Councillor, Tim Crackenthorpe, say he would like to see the redevelopment still to go ahead.
 
 


 

Maitland assault on young couple

Police continue to investigate an assault on a young couple in Maitland.
 
The attack occured around 11.15 last night near the intersection at Devonshire Street, with the offenders being described as two young females and a young male.
 
The trio verbally abused a 17 year old girl and her 20 year old male partner before physically assaulting them.
 
Anyone with information is urged to contact police or Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.
 

Singleton's Town Centre Master Plan opens to the public

Singleton Council has today unveiled their Town Centre Master Plan.
 
It comes after extensive community consultations revealed growing concerns about the need to diversify the town's economy.

While revamping the CBD is high on the agenda, John Martin, Major of Singleton, also notes the importance of building a highway bypass.

"We are overloaded with traffic congestion," he says.

The plan is on display at the public library, with residents invited to make submissions before the end of the month.


Mercy Hospice turns 20

The Cavalry Mater Newcastle's Mercy Hospice will celebrate years of memories and heritage with thier 20th Anniversary today.

Built by monies rasied from an NBN Telethon, the service has a strong community reputation as a leader in providing specialist palliative care services to the people of the Hunter region and beyond.
Professor Katherine Clar, Area Director of Palliative Care said the hospice owes a lot to the selfless work of the community. "We recognise that the hospice is very much in the hearts and minds of the people of the Hunter region and it is important we celebrate the contribution of many in establishing and being part of an important community service,".

There will be an afternoon celebration filled with music, photos and storytelling.

Friday 22 March 2013

Hunter golfers tee off for hunger

Four Newcastle kitchen manufacturers are coming together with Oz Harvest today for the 3rd Annual Combined Suppliers Charity Golf Day.

The food rescue operation saves close to 35-tonnes of excess food and delivers it to 380 charities each week.

The charity hopes to raise $20, 000.

Greens slam Newcastle City Council

Newcastle Greens Councilors have slammed the Council's closed-door workshop, which was used to scrap plans of angled parking in Hunter Street.

The workshop was held on Tuesday night, sharing results of community consultations with councilors.

The council had wanted to create 20 extra parking spaces between Darby and Brown Street.

Newcastle Greens Councilor, Michael Osborne said closed door meetings are concerning.

"I think the use of workshops, especially ones behind closed doors, have always been a concern for me at Newcastle Council. They [meetings] should only be providing information to councilors.  The decision should be in open council," he said.

Thursday 21 March 2013

Rally over public sector job cuts

Unions have rallied this afternoon outside the Hunter Street office of Newcastle MP, Tim Owen, to draw attention to public sector job cuts.

Unions NSW believe the cuts are going to have a crucial impact on the education and health sectors, particularly TAFE.
 
Unions NSW secretary, Mark Lennon and Newcastle Trades Hall Council secretary, Gary Kennedy will be present, before they head to Maitland MP, Robyn Parker's office with a large mobile billboard.

Gary Kennedy says the protest will hopefully raise awareness about the impact felt by staff.



Spark in roadside car selling

Hunter residents should watch where they park their cars when privately selling them on the side of the road.

Cars are often being parked illegally by sellers to get exposure and to cut out the middle man to make extra cash.

However, concerns have sparked with the tactic causing problems for traffic and pedestrians.

Private sellers and professional dealers are also resorting to this tactic to avoid taxes and government regulation, often using many locations and creating potential hazards in the process.
 
The Lake Macquarie area has become a hotspot for road sales, with four locations in the Belmont area and the old Belmont Airport becoming a virtual car yard on weekends.
 
Rangers are beginning to crackdown on roadside dealers with some residents receiving fines.

Robbery at a Morpeth Grocery Store


A Woodville man will appear in Maitland Local Court next month charged with armed robbery and possession of drugs following a robbery at a Morpeth grocery store.
It's alleged the 22-year-old man entered the Friendly Grocer store on Swan Street at 6pm last night before threatening the 17-year-old female attendant with a knife.

The man then fled the store with a small sum of cash.

Senior Constable Tony Tamplin says police traced the man’s car to a Woodville address where he was arrested.

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Drinking Session With Dad

A father has crashed his car whilst six times over the legal alcohol limit and been filmed encouraging his 12-year-old son to drink schooners of beer.

Security camera footage taken at Hotel Jesmond revealed the father drinking copious schooners and offering glasses of beer to the older of his two sons he had with him.

The father then proceeded to get behind the wheel of his four wheel drive vehicle with his sons, aged 12 and 8, before reversing into a concrete barrier.

The pub's licensee rushed outside and confiscated the man's keys before calling the police.

The father, who has a string of prior drink driving offences to his name, pleaded guilty to supplying alcohol to a minor and high-range drink driving.

Hexham Cyclist Struck Down

Northbound traffic has returned to normal following a cycling accident at Hexham.

A woman was riding in the northbound lanes of Maitland Road just past Ironbark Creek near the speed cameras just before 6:00AM this morning.

The woman then collided with some cardboard and other roadside debris, causing her to fall heavily.

Early reports suggested she may have been hit by a truck however this has since been disproven.

Police and ambulance paramedics arrived on the scene to find the woman unconcious.

However, she managed to avoid any serious inury and regained conciousness shortly thereafter.

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Medical Break-Through For Chronic Back Pain



Hunter residents suffering from back and limb pain may be able to breathe a sigh of relief thanks to new research by Dr Marc Russo.



The Newcastle pain specialist and his patients have been involved in major research into the use of a new spinal stimulator which helps patients with chronic back pain.


The spinal cord stimulation device uses high - frequency waveforms to treat hard - to - treat pain in the back and limbs.

The research examined 280 cases in Australia including 70 in the Hunter.

Low - frequency systems have been used since the 1960s but this is the first system to have success with high-frequency waves and has led to significantly reduced pain-killer use among patients.

Mosquito Madness In Maitland


Maitland residents are being urged to protect themselves against mosquito bites this Easter break.


The warning comes as holiday goers flock to local camping and fishing grounds, where mosquitoes thrive.


Residents will have to take extra precautions when outdoors to avoid mosquito borne infections, which are more prevalent in Autumn and following wet weather.

This comes as recent floods and heavy rain in Maitland has created perfect breeding grounds for the insects.


Numbers of infections are expected to increase as people enjoy outdoor activities such as camping and fishing over the long weekend.



Long Awaited Upgrade For Cardiff


After a 20 year wait, the upgrade at CARDIFF train station is just weeks away from completion.


The State government allocated 14 million dollars for the upgrade and an additional 2.5 million dollars for infrastructure.

Charlestown MP Andrew Cornwell says the upgrade will be a major benefit for the Hunter community.

Break In At Opalite Caravans

Police are investigating a break in at Opalite Caravans in Beresfield.

The staff arrived to find the lock on the perimeter gate had been cut and and the rear door forced open.

The intruders stole a number of items including an assortment of tools and what's being described as a white, pop - up caravan trailer.

The caravan which had just been finished is unregistered and was due to be collected by the customer this week.

Friday 15 March 2013

Police Investigate Suspious Fire

Port Stephens police are investigating a suspicious fire at Heatherbrae.

Fire crews were called to a light industrial estate at the end of Camfield Drive at about 12.30 this morning, where they found the contents of a shipping container in an empty paddock well alight.

Road signs and road barriers worth several thousand dollars were destroyed in the fire

Cathedral Approved

A multi-million dollar plan to build a new cathedral and monastery in the Hunter has been given the green light.

The 10-million dollar Saint Shenouda Monastery development at Putty was given the go ahead last night by the Joint Regional Planning Panel which met at Singleton.

The Cathedral will seat almost 500 people and is being built to keep up with a rise in visitor numbers to the Coptic Orthodox Retreat.

Mining Magnate Grilled Over Finances

Newcastle Knights and Jets owner Nathan Tinkler has been grilled about his finances by liquidators of one of his failed companies.

The mining magnate flew in from Singapore to face the music for almost 3 hours in Sydney's Supreme Court.

He told the court he put his faith in the wrong people and was left holding the can over a failed deal which led to the demise of Mulsanne Resources.

The court also heard the coal barron wanted to use houses worth up to 18-million dollars as security to purchase a stake in Blackwood Corporation.

Nathan Tinkler returns to court today.

Thursday 14 March 2013

Black Death Devastates Hunter Rivers

The Hunter's Commercial Fishing Industry is facing an uncertain future as an ecological disaster unfolds in the region's river systems.

 
The Hunter, Paterson and Williams Rivers have been inundated with floodwater in recent weeks, bringing thousands of tonnes of rotting vegetation into the waterways.

 
Known as a blackwater event, the putrid vegetation has robbed rivers of oxygen, causing the deaths of thousands of fish, eels and frogs.


NSW Environment Minister, Robyn Parker has called for more testing to determine the cause of the fish kill.



 

Singleton Truck Driver Charges In Court

The truck driver who allegedly crashed into a school bus in Singleton last year, killing a 9-year-old boy, has had his charges read today.

Daniel Ronald Henessy, who was not required to enter a plea and was not present at the Singleton Court today, has been charged for dangerous driving causing death and having a prescribed concentration of illicit drugs in his system.

The case has been adjourned until May 8, where it will be heard at the Local Court in Newcastle.
 



 

Dungog Film Festival Hope

The Dungog Film Festival will not be running this year, but the community still remains hopeful it will return next year.

The festival, which has run in the Hunter for the past seven years, has allowed Dungog to make its mark on the map and increase its tourism.

"Most of us- if not all of us- are disappointed that the festival is not happening but the film festival has had a positive effect on the town over the years," said Dungog Mayor, Harold Johnston.

"We hope that it can come back in the future."

The festival organisers have asked for the local council for help, however they were not in a position to assist.

Monday 11 March 2013

Man Charged Over Aberglasslyn Murder

A man has been charged with the alleged murder of the 23-year-old Rutherford woman whose body was found at Aberglasslyn yesterday.

Police were called to the bank of the Hunter River on Aberglasslyn Road early yesterday after members of the public discovered a body next to the river.

Central Hunter Detective immediately commenced an investigation into the young woman's death.

However Greta man George Ballentine entered Maitland Police Station at about 5:30PM on the same day and was subsequently arrested before being charged with murder.

The 30-year-old was refused bail and is due to appear before Newcastle Local Court on April 24.
.




Midday News Mon 11.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


8.30am News Mon 11.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


7.30am News Mon 11.5.13 Read By Ian Crouch


6.30am News Mon 11.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


Friday 8 March 2013

Midday News Fri 8.3.13 Read By Nicole Levey


Hunter Police Road Blitz

Police will be out in force on Hunter roads tonight targeting drink and drug driving.

Operation ELVIS will run on Friday and Saturday nights for the next month in the Lake Macquarie, Central Hunter and Hunter Valley police commands.

12 drivers were caught drink driving last weekend and 190 fines were issued.

Hunter Obesity Crisis

There are calls for a Newcastle Tax on fast food outlets to help combat the region’s high obesity rate.

A new study has found 58.4 per cent of the region are overweight or obese, while almost 70 per cent don't do enough exercise.

The survey of 2,400 residents also found the rate of type 2 diabetes is 1.6 per cent above the national average at 7 per cent.

Nutrition and Dietetics Professor Claire Collins from the University of Newcastle says the figures are scary and hopes they are awake-up call for local government and food authorities, suggesting a tax on take-away food outlets.

Alleged Murders To Face Trial

Two men have been ordered to stand trial over the death of a homeless man on a Newcastle train.

76-year-old ANGELO KALOUDIS was allegedly bashed to death in the early hours of August 27, 2011.

Two men aged 23 and 27 were committed for trial yesterday.

They face Sydney's Supreme Court next month charged with murder.

830 News Fri 8.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


Wednesday 6 March 2013

Midday News 6.3.13 Read By Georgina Smyth


Soccer Great Launches Football Academy

Newcastle football legend Craig Johnston is slaunching his new academy at Lake Macquarie High School .

Johnston, who attended the school before becoming a star for Liverpool in the English League, is inviting aspiring school-age players across the Hunter  to participate and develop their skills.

He says the teaching program is based around measurable results and guarantees the players will improve.

Not Another Dam

The head of the state’s major water authority is not ruling out a new dam for the Hunter.

Metropolitan Water Directorate Chief, Alison White says climate change variability and drought pose significant threats to the region's water security and options haven't been ruled out as they look to develop long-term plan for the Hunter.

A Federal Coalition draft plan released last month included the Hunter as the possible site for a new dam, although Liberal Paterson MP, Bob Baldwin is firmly opposed to reviving the Tillegra Dam proposal.

NSW Greens MP, John Kaye maintians dams are expensive and are the worst way to cope with drought, saying more needs to be done on ways to recycle water and improve water efficiiency.

Council Told To Fix Budget

A financial advisory panel of prominent Hunter businessmen has delivered a stern warning to Newcastle Council about it’s mounting debts.

Financial statements for last year show Council is already $61 million in the red.

The panel has urged council to address the city's infrastructure backlog by selling assets and funding capital works.

Meanwhile, council has endorsed the appointment of a preferred candidate for the role of acting general manager.

An announcement is expected later today.

8.30am News Wed 6.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


7.30am News Wed 6.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


6.30am News Wed 6.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


Tuesday 5 March 2013

Midday News Tue 5.3.13 Read By Stephanie Fisher


Hinton Isolated By Flooding


SES Volunteers will ferry supplies to hundreds of residents trapped by floodwater at Hinton.

It could be two or three days before the water levels recede.

While the SES will bring groceries and other essential supplies, they won't be operating a ferry service for residents due to public liability issues.

The service says flood-bound residents are perfectly safe and evacuations are not needed.
Hinton residents needing essential food and supplies can leave orders with the Victoria Hotel.
The SES is making two trips each day by flood boat to deliver orders to the hotel. 

Prescription Cost Pain

There are disturbing claims today many Hunter families are going without medication as they struggle to pay the rising cost of prescriptions.

It's repprted patients with chronic illnesses are paying up to $145.00 a month for their medication, while scripts for pensioners and concession card holders have increased from $5.90 to $8.00.

Health and welfare groups say the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Safety Net is a constantly moving goalpost and more needs to be done to keep prices down.

8.30am News Tue 5.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


7.30am News Tue 5.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


6.30am News Tue 5.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


Monday 4 March 2013

Newcastle jumps up in liveability


The results of a new survey out today from the Property Council confirms Newcastle as one of the most liveable cities in Australia.

Regional Director for the Property Council Andrew Fletcher says while Newcastle has a lot going for it, there are a few areas which need improvement.

In particular, Newcastle ranked lowly in terms of how residents felt about the city's look and design.

Newcastle beat out Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to be listed as the fourth most liveable city.
 

Police Strike Force to target club thieves


 
Hunter clubs have welcomed the establishment of a police strike force to crack down on thieves targeting clubs and other venues in the region.

Specialist police from the State Crime Command will work in tandem with Hunter detectives following a wave of burglaries over the past year.

Clubs NSW State Councillor Jon Chin told 2NUR-FM the presence of the strikeforce is hoped to dissuade thieves from continuing their break-in spree.

 


Midday news Mon 4.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


8.30am Mon 4.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


7.30am News Mon 4.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch


6.30am News Mon 4.3.13 Read By Ian Crouch