BUCHANAN – Police Appeal for Help Following Suspicious Grass Fires

 Police are appealing for public help to locate a white Mazda SUV last seen in Kurri Kurri after a number of suspicious grass fires were sparked across the Hunter Valley.

At about midday on Sunday emergency services were called to a grass fire at Frame Drive and Gingers Lane at Sawyers Gully. A short time later crews were called to two more fires on John Renshaw Drive at Buchanan. The Rural Fire Service attended and extinguished both blazes.

At 3:40pm firefighters were called to a fire at John Renshaw Drive at Black Hill and another at Averys Lane. They were both extinguished.

Police have established a crime scene at all locations, and have commenced inquiries. Officers are appealing for anyone with information or dash cam footage of the white Mazda, or footage of any of the grass fires between 12pm and 4pm, to contact Crime Stoppers.

The white Mazda SUV. Credit / NSW Police

Appeal for Information over City Road Dirt Bike Crash

 Police are appealing for information following a six vehicle crash at the intersection of City and Brunker roads at Adamstown Heights yesterday (Wednesday 26 November).

It’s understood a dirt bike with two teenagers on board ran a red light and collided with a car at the intersection at 5:35pm.

The scene was difficult to attend for police in peak hour gridlock, but when they arrived a 17-year-old boy, the rider was treated by paramedics- he’s at John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

The passenger of the motorbike, a 14-year-old boy, is also in hospital in a critical condition.

The five car drivers were uninjured and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

The Crash Investigation Unit is asking anyone with information or dashcam footage to contact Crime Stoppers.

Credit / Google Maps

Woman Killed And Young Man Fighting For Life In John Hunter Hospital After Shark Attack On Mid North Coast

 BY IAN CROUCH

A woman has died and a man is in the John Hunter Hospital after being mauled by a shark on the Mid North Coast.

Emergency services were called to Kylies Beach at Crowdy Bay north east of Taree about 6.30am today (Thursday 27 November 2025).

Bystanders provided aid to the pair until paramedics arrived, however the woman in her 20s died at the scene.

A man, also in his 20s was airlifted to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter with serious injuries in a critical condition.

The beach has been closed.

Surf Patrols and the Department of Primary Industries remain at the scene.

Lifesavers are continuing to monitor the coastline with drones in a bid to identify the species of shark involved.

 

  

 

 

BREAKING! Firefighters Battling House Fire At Raymond Terrace

 BY IAN CROUCH

Fire has caused extensive damage to a Raymond Terrace home overnight.

Newcastle Fire Command says crews from Raymond Terrace, Tarro and Morpeth were called to the single level brick veneer home on Benjamin Lee Drive at 3.13am today (Thursday 27 November, 2025) to find the front half of the home well alight.

The occupants of the home managed to safely evacuate and no-one was injured.

It's taken crews about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control, with efforts continuing to fully extinguish and mop up the blaze.

It's believed a lithium battery in one of the rooms may have caused the fire.

 

Total Fire Bans Could Last All Week – RFS

 The RFS says it’s important for Hunter Families to be aware of the risks with extreme fire danger and storms forecast today and hot weather for the next few days.

Another total fire ban is forecast tomorrow (27 November) with dry weather taking us to the end of the week. There’s concern lightning strikes could spark new blazes.

Authorities they haven’t been able to get on top of back burning due to recent wet weather, but the highest risk areas near homes have been taken care of.

Lower Hunter District Manager Superintendent Martin Siemsen says it’s important to be prepared.

“There are potential ignition sources, we saw a couple of fires late yesterday afternoon, occur from that storm cell [in Muswellbrook]. Not a lot of rain and potential for lightning. So those ignition sources potentially exist today, which is a risk,” he said.

Police Appeal for Information on Break and Enters at Lake Macquarie

 Police are appealing for information on multiple break and enters in the early hours of October 28.

Eight males were captured on CCTV unsuccessfully attempting to enter a house on Maddie Street at Bonnells Bay, and were seen leaving in two vehicles, a white MG SUV and black Toyota Corolla.

Just before 4am police allege the males drove the vehicles to Freemans Drive at Cooranbong, where they tried to break into a service station with poles and hammers.

As daylight approached they attempted to access more homes at Catherine Hill Bay and entered a home on Macquarie Grove at Caves Beach, where an Isuzu ute was stolen.

Detectives with Operation Soteria have commenced an investigation, they wish to speak with occupants believed to be in their late teens who were spotted in the cars.

Anyone with information is being urged to come forward.

Port Stephens Councillor Lashes Out at New BOM Website

 A Port Stephens Councillor will tonight call for the Bureau of Meteorology to reverse its new $96 million website design, saying “ordinary Australians” are finding the new layout difficult to navigate.

A notice of motion being tabled by Councillor Giacomo Arnott will ask Council to write to Environment Minister Murray Watt and Paterson MP Meryl Swanson expressing “deep frustration” with the change.

Councillor Arnott says locals can’t get basic information.

“It’s an absurd and obscene amount of money to spend on a website that’s been delivered without the needs of Australians in mind and with services that are nearly unusable and inaccessible for local people, for local councils, for emergency management services,” he said.

“There’s certain bits of data that haven’t made the transition over to the new website at all. And that means the people that used to rely on that data just can’t access it. I think people are very lucky that they can still access the old website,” he said.