Fernleigh Track Signs To Combat Anti-Social Behaviour

 BY OLI GOELDNER 

New signage has been installed along the Fernleigh Track to address anti-social behaviour on the popular pathway. 

A total of 14 signs have been put in at all access points on the track, encouraging users to report incidents to police. 

Lake Macquarie Council Community Partnerships manager Matt Holloway said the signage will play an important role in combatting dangerous behaviour. 

"We're really encouraging people to report any incidents or unsafe behaviour they see or experience along the track," he said. 

"This can be done either through the triple zero emergency number, Crime Stoppers, the police assistance line or the online portal." 

Over the past 12 months, police have conducted regular bike and foot patrols of the popular walking track. 

NSW Police District Inspector Anita Kruse reported they've had hundreds of interactions with users of the path discussing their concerns and providing education in relation to e-bikes. 

During that time, ten infringement notices have been issued, and 24 offences have been dealt with under the Young Offenders Act. 

However, Mr Holloway said users should be more vigilant with reports. 

"We're really hoping to see an increase in reporting," he explained.

"The reporting at the moment is quite static over the last six months, I don't believe the numbers have increased or decreased. 

"And, what we're hoping to see out of this is if these incidents are occurring, we see them being reported through these channels rather than through social media or other means." 

The signage is the first of many safety measures to be enacted by a dedicated subcommittee, formed during a Fernleigh Track roundtable meeting with key representatives in late 2025. 

"What we're looking to do is identify these signs and look for other safety-related signage," Mr Holloway said. 

'We also want a big focus back on etiquette ad acceptable behaviour. 

"Also, focusing not particularly on e-bikes, but the illegal e-bikes and anti-social behaviour along the track." 

Picture: Lake Macquarie City Council

Hunter Gamblers Lose $660 Million On Pokies

 BY OLI GOELDNER

Recent data from the state's Office of Liquor and Gaming revealed Hunter residents lost more than $660 million to poker machines last year. 

The figure comes following the release of the Office's final quarter summary for 2025. 

Newcastle and Lake Macquarie were found to be the biggest spenders, with Newcastle gamblers putting in $55 million into poker machines from August to September alone. 

Wests New Lambton raked in the most gambling profits in the Hunter throughout the year, ranking 20th in the state. 

The venue currently has 533 gambling machines. 

However, Muswellbrook and District Workers Club made the most profits per machine locally, ranking in at number 27 in the state, despite only having 61 gaming machines. 

Across NSW, gamblers lost more than $9.2 billion to poker machines, breaking records for the most in a single year. 

Greens MP and gambling harm minimisation spokesperson Cate Faerhmann said the figures are concerning. 

"It's clear that the Minn's Government's program of what they call gambling harm reduction isn't working," she said. 

"People in the Hunter are losing record amounts to the pokies and that's just extraordinary when you hear how tough people are doing it too. 

"We know that pokies are designed to be addictive and there's a lot of people out there who just can't help themselves when it comes to putting their money into poker machines.

"So something has to be done, we can't keep seeing record losses every single year, but that's the fact that we're seeing in NSW." 

Currently, Newcastle hosts 2,705 gaming machines across both clubs and hotels, with Lake Macquarie following closely behind at 2,472. 

"I think local communities should speak up about this because we're losing a million dollars an hour in NSW to poker machines," Ms Faerhmann added. 

"And, $660 million in the Hunter is dissapointing. 

"That's $660 million that isn't going into local businesses, families. 

"It's going to big clubs and it's a real crisis." 

Mangoola Coal Mine Workers Fighting New Pay Agreements

BY LOUISE LIMBERS 

Concerns are being raised surrounding a proposed enterprise agreement at Glencore's Mangoola coal mine in the Hunter. 

According to the Mining and Energy Union (MEU), the agreement is said to introduce tiered pay structures, cut contractor earnings and embed a cheaper workforce, with contractor earnings estimated to fall by around $36000 as a result. 

The MEU's Northern Mining and NSW District president Robin Williams said the agreement is concerning for local workers.  

"In effect, they're putting in place an agreement that will reduce the rate of contractors by 10 or 20 percent," he said.

"It's really an introduction of a tiered wage system to reduce the current rate, and then they can use that rate as a comparative for contractors."

It follows a Fair Work Commission order given to the mine's labour-hire workers which lifted their pay to replicate that of permanent workers. 

Now, Mr Williams said the mine is taking a step backwards. 

"They can't just move to different industries," he said. 

"Those employees would have to accept those lower rates and continue to work for these contractors." 

Workers at the Mangoola coal mine are set to vote on the agreement from 31 March to 1 April.

However, despite being the main subject to the changes, contract workers won't have the ability to vote. 

Picture: Mangoola Open Cut Coal Mine

Senator Says Hunter Businesses Will Pay Following EU Deal

 BY OLI GOELDNER

Hunter-based senator Ross Cadell said Hunter businesses will face unprecedented costs with the new Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement. 

Signed yesterday, the deal will see European goods, including food, wine and cars, become cheaper for Australian buyers. 

Under the agreement, the federal government will remove the five percent tariff places on European goods. 

Additionally, EU tariffs will be taken off Australian imports, including critical minerals, manufactured items and many dairy products. 

However, the deal poses infringements on the classification of multiple Australian produced food and wine products. 

It's reported Australian producers will be allowed to keep using the term "prosecco" for domestic sales, but they will have to be phase out the term over the next decade for exports. 

Domestic manufacturers will also keep the rights to describe their wares as parmesan and kransky, but other cheese names such as feta, romano and gruyere will eventually be phased out as well. 

Ross Cadell said it could have serious implications for several Hunter Valley businesses, including vineyards, abattoirs and dairy producers. 

"What they'll do is they'll have to shrink their markets again," he explained. 

"They'll have to find new markets by going out and spend their own money to try and find different places to sell things. 

"They'll have to look at repackaging things and renaming things, there's costs involved with that." 

He said he fears it may be the beginning of a hoard of new legislation adopted from European nations. 

"If the EU legislation on deforestation on these things comes in, are we going to lose our grazing land," he said. 

"Are we going to lose our farming land up in the valley?

"It's a real problem for us. 

"I just want our farmers to be able to farm, vineyards to be able to make wine, miners to be able to mine and make Australia stronger." 

Hunter-based Nationals senator Ross Cadell. Picture: NSW Nationals

Missing Sydney Girl Could Be In The Hunter Valley

 BY IAN CROUCH

Police believe a missing Sydney teenager could be in the Hunter Valley.

14-year-old Jade Baxter from Rossmore in Sydney's south-west was last seen on Macquarie Street, Singleton at about 9.00am on Friday March 13.

Police hold concerns for her welfare due to her age.

She's described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 140cm tall with blonde hair and green/blue eyes.

Police believe Jade could be in the Singleton, Cydesdale or Bellambi areas.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

 

Missing teen Jade Baxter

 

 

 

E Bikes Banned At Local High School

 BY OLI GOELDNER

A Newcastle high school has made the call to ban all e-bikes on school grounds following a string of accidents. 

Parents of Kotara High School students received a letter last week stating the vehicles would be banned from the first day of Term 2, Wednesday April 22. 

Traffic around the school, which backs onto Lexington Parade, is known to be extremely busy during peak hours, with several incidents reported between e-bikes and vehicles in 2025 and 2026. 

Principal Mark Snedden said they've seen a rapid increase in students using the bikes. 

"We're in a very congested area of Newcastle here in the morning at drop off and pick up time with all the buses," he said. 

"There have been concerns raised by community members, as well as staff and parents, around the use of e-bikes and the safety of them with regard to other road users." 

He noted while the bikes are a useful form of transport for students, the safety risks are too large to ignore. 

"Under the Department of Education policy around to and from school, it's still a parent's priority to make a decision on how a student does get to and from school," he explained. 

"But, what I am able to do within the policy is make a decision on what things can be brought into school grounds.

"So the decision has been made to no longer house e-bikes on school." 

Principal Snedden also argued they don't have the proper storage facilities for the e-bikes as they are much larger than ordinary push bikes, whilst also featuring lithium batteries which can pose a fire risk. 

The ban comes alongside new state-wide laws giving NSW Police and Transport for NSW the power to seize and crush illegal e-bikes. 

The new legislation targets the growing number of throttle-only, high-powered e-bikes, which are said to fuel anti-social behaviour, community frustration and serious injuries. 

Picture: Department of Education

Calls For New Nature Reserves As Part Of Hunter Transmission Project

BY CHARLIE PROUDLOCK

The Nature Conservation Council of NSW is calling on the state government to re-think the Hunter Transmission Project.

The major initiative is set to incur a sweep of deforestation across a large portion of the Hunter's bushland, with the Conservation Council asking for additional nature reserves to offset it's predicted impact. 

It follows submissions from fellow environmental groups slamming the planned deforestation which will take place during to the project's construction, including at Olney, Watagan and Pokolbin state forests. 

In an effort to combat the impacts, the Conservation Council has released a report identifying 11 new strategic reserves to be added in conjunction with the major project, set to strengthen ecological connectivity across the region.

The listed reserves include 700 hectares of former BHP land at West Wallsend, 580 hectares adjacent to Newcastle Link Road, and about 3,000 hectares of land in the Hunter Economic Zone at Tomalpin. 

The Conservation Council's Policy and Advocacy Director Brad Smith said their main goal is to stop the decline in some of the State's most critically endangered species.

"The [Hunter Transmission] Project itself is about 100 kilometres long and the area it will disturb is about 1,000 hectares," he said.

"Of the 1,000 hectares, around 200 is endangered bushland.

"We're saying to just give those State forests back to National Parks.

"At the moment, they're being logged, and by removing the logging threat from those State forests, it would have a great impact for nature in the region."

Mr Smith went further to call on Newcastle Council to back them in their push for renewed ecological health in the region.

"We hope everyone would be on our side, because this is a good outcome for nature," he said.

"We know we need to get ahead with this transmission line and bring the solar, wind power to the businesses and home who need it, but we don't want to see nature sidelined in the process.

"This is really a once-in-a-generation opportunity to really take hold of some of these beautiful natural areas in the Hunter and protect them for everyone into the future."

Currently, project refinements are continuing to be made following field surveys, agency consultation and community feedback.

Picture: NSW Government.