"Brazen" would-be thieves target Toronto copper wires: Ausgrid appeal for information

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Ausgrid has issued a stern warning to would-be thieves that interfering with operational electrical wires endangers lives.

It comes after power was cut to 770 homes and businesses in Lake Macquarie early yesterday morning following an attempted copper wire theft.

Parts of Carey Bay, Toronto and Kilaben Bay were left in the dark between 2:55am until 7:30am.

When restoration crews arrived, they discovered 150 metres of copper cable coiled on the ground and powerlines dangling from poles with cable cutters still attached.

Power was safely restored to all customers, with the damaged power lines replaced, however Ausgrid Chief Operating Officer, Trevor Armstrong condemned the reckless behaviour.

"These were high voltage, live powerlines carrying 11,000 volts," he explained,"so not only is this attempted theft brazen, it is also incredibly risky."

He said the party responsible put the safety of the greater public at risk as well.

"This could have ended tragically for the alleged theives, and we were very fortunate that no one was injured," Mr Armstrong asserted.

Copper is a highly sought-after metal in current markets due to demand for the product in electronic devices and infrastructure projects.

Locals who saw any suspicious activity near Ausgrid's Toronto West zone substation off Awaba Road in the early hours of Wednesday morning are urged to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

Call the coppers: attempted thieves left cable cutters attached to the damaged powerlines. 

Catholic Church Under Fire For Sale of Former Empire Hotel

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

The Maitland-Newcastle Diocese has come under fire for selling the former Empire Hotel site where they had planned to construct affordable housing.

Diocese Vice Chancellor Administration, Sean Scanlon, says a 'frenzy of activity' within the local building industry has raised construction costs, and building affordable housing on the Hunter Street site became infeasible.

Labor Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen has accused the Church of 'land-banking' by selling the property after receiving approval to build in December, but Mr Scanlon denied the accusation.

He says the decision to sell came down to struggles with cost constraints and a lack of support.

"(Construction costs were) something like $7 million higher than we first anticipated. That made the project effectively unviable," said Mr Scanlon.

"It needs to be viable to be affordable to the ultimate recipients of that housing, and that made it extremely difficult for this to work."

The Church was successful in having infrastructure provision fees discounted due to the affordable housing component of the project, but extra financial help was denied by the Hunter Development Corporation and Newcastle City Council.

"We didn't look to sell this, necessarily," explained Mr Scanlon. "Without us prompting, the builders then approached us to see whether we would be willing to sell the property to them,"

"It seemed like a sensible thing for us to do."

The Catholic Church received a $5.5 million profit from the sale, which Mr Scanlon says will ultimately be put towards funding more positive activities in the community.

The Former Empire Hotel site on Hunter Street. Picture: theherald.com.au

New Recycling Facility Launched at Summerhill

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE 

Summerhill Waste Management Facility has today unveiled the Newcastle Community Recycling Centre. 

Nearly 100 similar centres are being rolled out across NSW as part of the state government's half-billion-dollar Waste Less, Recycle More campaign. 

Materials previously bound for the tip can now be recycled, with the following household problem waste accepted: 

• Paint 
• Motor oils and cooking oils 
• Gas bottles
• Fire extinguishers 
• Car and household batteries 
• Smoke detectors; and 
• Fluorescent light globes and tubes 

Business Development Manager at Summer Hill, Mark Johnson said many of the materials can be re-purposed for future use. 

"With the motor oils and other oils that we get," Mr Johnson said, "the contaminants are taken out of those and then the base materials are refined back into a lubricant."

Mark Johnson encouraged residents to check their homes to see how they can best make use of the new facility. 

"...By checking what you've got in your cupboards, have a quick look, see all of the stuff that you're not using and put it in a box, make sure it's sealed and bring it along, then we can take care of it for you," he said. 

The Summerhill Waste Management facility will be closed on Good Friday. 

Mark Johnson, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Taylor Martin MLC welcome the new facility. 

Kids Needed for HMRI Nutrition Website

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A collaboration from the University of Newcastle and HMRI researchers is about to boost nutrition education for primary school children.

They're hoping to develop a website which advises teachers how to teach nutrition, building on initiatives like crunch and sip time and the removal of junk food from canteens.

"The website will be a one-package deal for teachers - all the resources now are a bit scattered over the internet," University of Newcastle Researcher Nienke Devlieger said.

"So what we'll do is make one website where they can access pre-made lessons plans, links to useful websites...some videos they can find and online educational games for the children to play," she continued.

Around 20 Year 5 and 6 students are wanted to give their perspective on what should be included on the site, with interviews to take place at the Callaghan campus soon.

Nienke Devlieger is looking for parents to bring their child to the University for a one-hour fun-sorting task which will inform the website's content. You can contact Nienke on:

Ph: 02 4985 4086

Email: nienke.devlieger@newcastle.edu.au

Lake Macquarie Police Officers Honoured With Bravery Awards

BY IAN CROUCH

Two Lake Macquarie Police officers are being honoured with bravery awards today.

Senior Constables Wade Fuller and Craig Hansen rescued a father and three children after they were caught in a rip at Caves Beach in September 2016.

The pair commandeered body boards to reach the man and 1 child about 70 metres from shore, while the other two children were rescued 90 metres from the shoreline.

For their actions, Senior Constables Fuller and Hansen have been commended for brave conduct.

Bravery Commendation: Senior Constables Craig Hansen (left) and Wade Fuller. Picture: dailytelegraph.com.au

Teen Seriously Injured In Head-On Smash At Tanilba Bay

BY IAN CROUCH

A 19-year-old woman remains in a serous condition in the John Hunter Hospital after bad crash at Tanilba Bay.

Police say a silver Holden Commodore collided head-on with a white Mitsubishi Lancer on Lemon Tree Passage Road at about 4.15 yesterday afternoon.

The young woman was was trapped in the Lancer for some time before being flown to hospital with internal injuries.

The 46-year-old man driving the Commdore was also taken to the John Hunter for further medical checks.

Police want to hear from anyone who witnessed the crash.

The Crash Scene At Tanilba Bay. Picture: theherald.com.au

Search Resumes For Missing New Lambton Man

BY IAN CROUCH

A search has resumed for a missing New Lambton man.

Mitchell Hancock was last seen leaving his home in Clarence Road at about 3 o'clock on Tuesday morning and there are concerns for his welfare as he's missed appointments and hasn't shown up for work.

He was driving a blue Holden Berlina with the NSW registration BRB 26U.

A search of bushland near Toronto was undertaken yesterday involving police and a rescue helicopter when information was received that he may have been in that area.

The search was called off overnight due to fading light and is expected to resume today.

Further information has since been received that Mr Hancock may possibly be in the Freemans Waterhole area.

Police are asking the public to keep a lookout for Mr Hancock and contact them immediately if they see him.

Mr Hancock is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall with a solid build and has fair hair with a beard and moustache.

Anyone who knows of his whereabouts should contact triple zero (000).

Mitchell Hancock

Budget dispute in council meeting

BY MARISSA ALEXIOU

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes has been left defending council spending after a dispute in last night’s council meeting.

The cutting of community projects funding has been criticised by Independents Adrea Ruffo, John Church and Kath Elliott as well as Liberal Brad Luke.

Councillor Kath Elliot said communities are missing out on infrastructure that was promised to them in this year's budget and are now being left "high and dry.”

"Labor has moved money away from community facilities and services," she said.

Upgrades to Harker Oval are one of the projects to lose funding.

"Harker Oval, used by a thousand people every week playing football and touch football badly needs its changerooms upgraded for men and women. There is no privacy and they are in a terrible state of disrepair," Kath Elliott said.

There were also calls for clarification over Newcastle's status as either a metropolitan or regional area.

The different classifications have a significant impact on the city's ability to access funding from the state and federal government.

Kath Elliot said the reclassification of Newcastle as a regional city is more beneficial when accessing funding.

"At the moment because we sometimes classify regional and sometimes metropolitan it can preclude us from being able to access. For example, the $4 billion dollar Snowy Hydro money that's the state government has provided the federal government [will be given to regional areas],” she said.

In contrast, the Lord Mayor expressed her preference for Newcastle to be classified as metropolitan, in a bid to recognise our status as the state’s second largest city.

Kath Elliot said communities are disappointed to be told council  money has been taken from key facility upgrades due to the changes in the budget.

Source: https://www.facebook.com

Tourism Increase Only Good News for Hunter

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

The Newcastle Tourism Industry Group has welcomed the revelation there has been a 22% increase in the number of Australians holidaying in the Hunter Region.

Latest figures from the National Visitor Survey show the 7% higher growth in the Hunter over the past three years compared to the national average.

3.63 million domestic tourists visited the Hunter within the past year, with most staying for just two nights.

General Manager of the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group, Gus Maher said it's great news for the local economy.

"An increase like this has a direct effect on employment and economic stimulation.

"The cause of the increase of course is the marketing activity that bodies like ourselves, councils and individual companies are undertaking," Mr Maher said, "but the impact is substantial in terms of economic benefits."

He said Novocastrians would be surprised by the number of people wanting a slice of our sand and surf.

"Of course the wine region and Port Stephens [are major drawcards], but actually, increasingly, Newcastle is a hub for those tourists...it's the area benefiting most substantially from those increased Hunter figures."

Idyllic: More and more Australians are flocking to Newcastle's coastline. Image: NCC.

Business Chamber Welcomes Freight Strategy

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

The Hunter Business Chamber is asking for greater recognition of the Hunter's role in a statewide strategy for ports and freight.

The call was issued within the Chamber's submission to the Draft NSW Freights and Ports Plan, catalysed by a desire to enhance the Hunter region's contribution to population growth and freight.

Chamber CEO, Bob Hawes has described the draft as "high-level and far-reaching," however believes the final version should preserve and enhance transport corridors to Newcastle Airport and the Port of Newcastle; develop another major regional classification to recognise the significance of regional economic centres and provide a level playing field to facilitate the development of container trade in the Port of Newcastle.

Bob Hawes said constraints on existing rail and road networks are creating trade barriers between metro and regional NSW and its key markets, while the Hunter has the potential to alleviate congestion across the system.

"Obviously the Port of Newcastle is well-known, it's a global gateway in terms of coal trade.

"There is ambition in this region, and we want the strategy to recognise the need to diversify that trade," Mr Hawes said.

Rising star falls: Knights sack Dylan Phythian

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

The Newcastle Knights have made the tough decision to sack rising star Dylan Phythian, after the 22-year-old returned two positive drug tests.

Under the NRL code, Knights chief executive Phil Gardner had the option of imposing a 12-week ban on Phythian and keeping him on board despite this being his second cocaine offence but instead decided to tear up his contract.

Dylan Phythian originated as a Belmont junior and has only played 3 games, scoring a try in one, before he ruptured his ACL which left him on the bench for a year.

In a statement, the club said "his behaviour is at odds with the culture we are building within the club."

The Knights will offer the young man counselling to deal with the blow.

Teen approached by stranger at Cardiff

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A child has been approached at Cardiff, and police have released CCTV footage of the vehicle involved.

Around 3:30 yesterday afternoon, a 13-year-old girl was waiting for a bus home from school when she was approached by a man on Main Road.

The man, believed to be around 30 years old, spoke to the girl before a passer-by told him to leave; then a car, driven by a woman, pulled up to take him away and they drove off in the direction of Cardiff Train Station.

The car is described as a Silver Mitsubishi Lancer with chipped paint, while anyone with information is urged to contact crime stoppers.

Council restructure riles up Robbo

BY JARROD MELMETH and LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Newcastle Independent councillor Allan Robinson is raising concerns in the wake of an impending council restructure.

Under the Local Government Act, Local council CEO's are required to review the structure of council after an election, with the last restructure following the 2012 election.

Cr Robinson fears the restructure will be Labor-led considering the close-working relationship of Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Council CEO Jeremy Bath.

"They are just changing things to get rid of one of the senior staff members, the smartest bloke in there. He does not do what she [Nuatali Nelmes] says. He disagrees with her, and he is the last one standing and he is going to get the sack," Cr Robinson said.

Although the claims are yet to be substantiated, Cr Robinson says staff have expressed concerns following news of the restructure.

Councillors will see the details of the restructure in a confidential meeting on Tuesday night.

The restructure comes in the midst of an already tumultuous week for a council divided over a probe into councillors' electronic communications following the leak of budget documents.

Mr Bath committed to investigating who gave the documents to the Newcastle Herald unless the councillor responsible came forward.

However, Cr Robinson said, “I rang the CEO and told him it was me who leaked it."

But 2NURFM News understands Cr Robinson made the comment flippantly.

"He [Jeremy Bath] said 'I know it wasn't you, I've looked; you haven't even read it yet,' I said okay," Cr Robinson explained.

Although the document was not stamped confidential, it is understood councillors were verbally warned of the sensitive nature of the figures.

"It wasn't even confidential...it was left in the chamber," Cr Robinson said.

"It could be staff, it could be security, it could be 20 of the reptiles with no life who sit in and listen. Who knows?"

Cr Allan Robinson. Photo: Newcastle Herald.

Maitland Council to consider on-call bulk waste service

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Maitland Council will debate tonight on whether or not to introduce a new on-call bulk waste collection service for residents.

It is the seventh time bulk collection has been a subject of council discussions since 2009, with proposals scrapped in the past.

The independents are pushing to introduce the scheme, which would see residents call up to book their collection rather than using a tip voucher and transporting waste themselves.

However, a report prepared for the councillors recommends they not adopt the service, largely due to the costs involved.

Independent Councillor Philip Penfold believes the on-call service is a responsible fiscal choice.

"We obviously have to take into account the financial implications of the decision," he said, "but an on-call service is more economical [than a scheduled, suburb-wide collection].

"I don't think everyone in Maitland has this need, many people have trailers and big cars," he said, "but many don't, and we need to make sure those people are catered for..."

Mr Penfold is optimistic the issue will be resolved tonight.

"We have a new Council - six new councillors - and I've had a lot of interest from some of these new members," he said.

"I know that my team of independent councillors are all in support, and we're looking for three others."

He said he is hopeful they can achieve the numbers and bring Maitland up to speed with its Newcastle counterpart.

Former Wallsend teacher charged with historical offences

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A former teacher has been arrested at a home in Hamilton South and charged with multiple historical assault offences.

Strike Force Georgiana detectives investigated the 83-year-old man's conduct at a West Wallsend Primary school during the 1970s and 80s.

He was charged with six counts of indecent assault on a female under 16 years, with the offences allegedly committed towards three teenage girls.

The man has been granted conditional bail and will face Newcastle Local Court this Thursday.

Police uncover hydro-house at Aberglasslyn

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Police have dismantled a major hydroponic set up at a home in Aberglasslyn.

321 cannabis plants of all maturities were seized as police raided the property on Honeysuckle Drive yesterday, along with 22 kilograms of loose cannabis leaf.

Police describe the house as fitted with fake internal walls and a drying room, with lights, transformers and growth chemicals.

A crime scene has been established as police appeal to the public for information about the house and its occupants.

Not Lovin' It: Council Overturns Swansea McDonald's Expansion

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Lake Macquarie City Council has back-tracked on their decision to extend operating hours for the Swansea McDonalds restaurant.

Earlier this month, council approved drive-through hours of 12am until 5am, but at last night's meeting, a recision motion successfully overturned the decision.

The reason given by Councillor Adam Shultz, who lead the motion, was to allow time for a site inspection in order to foster a more consultative approach in the wake of community concerns about increased traffic along the already busy Pacific Highway.

Residents are also concerned about litter and anti-social behaviour being exacerbated by longer trading hours at the fast-food outlet.

Cr Jason Pauling opposed the recision, believing a backflip would compromise business confidence in the City of Lake Macquarie, while Cr Kevin Baker feared a site inspection would morph into "an all in public forum," given the amount of concern from nearby residents.

Meanwhile, Crs Barney Langford and Brian Adamthwaite said they haven't yet formed a position on the proposed 24-hour operation, indicating the site inspection could swing opinions either way.

For now at least, it's an unhappy meal to swallow for the Swansea McDonalds owners.

Swansea McDonalds. 

Pregnant Women To Trial Dieting App

BY OLIVIA PORTELL

Pregnant women across the Hunter in their second trimester are being called to trial a smartphone app that assists with diet management during pregnancy.

Developed by HMRI, the app focuses on nutrition through monitoring carbohydrate intake and portion sizes.

Dietician and PhD candidate Hannah Brown says that the app uses augmented reality to help pregnant women track what they are eating, potentially eliminating health problems in the future.

"Diet is really important during pregnancy, and we're focusing on carbohydrate intake in our study because previous research has found that high blood sugar levels in pregnancy can lead to negative health outcomes for both mother and baby, including birth complications as well as an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later in life."

Brown says that they hope the app will make keeping up with diet and nutrition during pregnancy a simpler process.

"We're hoping that the app will make pregnant women more aware of how much they are eating, and preliminary results are already finding that that's the case," she says.

"So we're hoping that the nutrition information in the app is also really helpful for them because we know that there's a lot of misinformation about nutrition."

Brown says that the feedback has so far been positive.

"We're finding that the pregnant women are really enjoying using the app, they're finding it really easy to use, it's making them more aware of how much food they're eating," she says.

"They're also really enjoying the nutrition information in the app, and that's because it's specifically tailored for pregnant women, and it's using evidence-based resources, again to ease that confusion."

Scientists to Save our Sharks

BY TYLER FARDELL


Sharks are a very polarizing animal. Many are afraid of them and avoid swimming at the beach, while others love the impressive creatures and do all they can to protect them.

Dr Vincent Raoult from the University of Newcastle is one of the latter and along with 72 other similar minded scientists from all over the world, they recently undertook a study trying to determine where different types of sharks mainly feed.

"If we know where sharks get their food from, we know which areas may be useful to protect", Mr Raoult said.

Shark numbers have steadily declined for hundreds of years, with an estimated 10 percent of shark numbers remaining.

The main reasons behind the saddening decline include hunting, recreational fishing, sharks getting caught up in nets or rubbish and overfishing.

"We have already seen the impacts of overfishing on the sea-food industry and the livliehoods of many fishermen and now we're seeing it on sharks", Mr Raoult said.

"Many sharks have been unable to find any food or having to travel longer and longer distances to find a food supply".

The scientists are hoping the results of this study will go a long way to ensure areas where sharks regularly feed are left alone by commercial fishermen.

Newcastle Council Investigates Leaking of Budget Documents

BY OLIVIA PORTELL

Newcastle City Council CEO, Jeremy Bath says that he will be investigating communications between councillors and The Newcastle Herald after the newspaper published details of the council's budget earlier this month.

The document outlined the potential cost of projects around Newcastle, and Bath is worried this will mean it will cost council millions more to complete the projects.

Bath believes the information should have been confidential and says that releasing the document to the media was a breach of trust.

However, independent councillor Kath Elliot says that the public has the right to know about what the council are doing with their money. 

"I think it's very important that the community has a good understanding of the council's finances, given that it's community money and that it's community facilities that we provide, and to have an investigation into a document which wasn't confidential seems to me to be a rather odd thing to do," she says.

Elliot believes the council should take a more open approach to running the city.

"I think it's absolutely imperative that we have open and transparent governance in Newcastle City Council and that does not appear to be happening at the moment," she says.

"The Labor Party campaigned an open and transparent governance, and for them to say now that they want to keep things a secret from the community who pay their rates is outrageous."

Lake Macquarie Council Given Grant To Combat Illegal Dumping

BY OLIVIA PORTELL

Lake Macquarie Council has been given a 71 thousand dollar grant as part of a statewide initiative to combat illegal dumping.

The grant comes as part of an attempt to decrease illegal dumping by 30 percent by 2020.

The money will assist with cleaning up potentially dangerous waste, such as asbestos, that has been dumped around the region.

Member for Lake Macquarie, Greg Piper, says that the region is particularly bad and that the amount of rubbish being carelessly dumped is worrying.

"Anybody that drives around the area, you will see rubbish dumped illegally on the side of the road, but as soon as you get a little bit off the beaten track, you just see people go down and they dump amazing amounts of rubbish," he says.

Piper says that people must change their ways, and consider the environment and the people who have to clean up after them when dumping their waste.

"They don't care what's in that rubbish, and I know the council, and other councils, have been battling illegal disposal of materials such as asbestos, and this is very concerning, particularly for anyone that then has to go and clean this up," he says.

"There are a lot of issues there, but certainly in this day and age people take so little personal responsibility for the waste that they produce."

Piper believes the grant will be a great help to the region, and that there are a number of volunteers working with the council to combat the issue.

"We have Landcare, we have sustainable neighbourhood community groups, so there's no shortage of goodwill out there to do the right thing, but often there's a lack of that practical resource in the finances, and hopefully this goes a long way to help."

Cardiff intersection to remain closed after water main bursts

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

UPDATE:

Myall Road is now reopened to Westbound traffic, while Munnibung Road is closed in an easterly direction.

Hunter Water believes it will be a while yet before flooding at the intersection of Macquarie Road and Myall Road at Cardiff is drained.

The intersection is completely submerged in water, with one blue sedan stuck earlier this morning.

The issue was sparked when a 500mm pipe running underneath the roads ruptured around 5am.

Hunter Water spokesperson, Kieran Smith said some homes around the Munnibung Road area were left without running water or with low water pressure.

However, Mr Smith said, the burst main was isolated around 9am.

"We should find, given the pipe has been isolated now," he said, "water should start to be restored as the system recharges."

Lake Macquarie Police said there were indicators the road had been undermined and described the issue as "a major rupture."

They expect the intersection to be closed for around 10 hours.

Diversions are still in place northbound and southbound, while buses are re-routing to avoid the area.

Macquarie and Myall Road, Cardiff. Image: Lake Macqurie Police. 

CARDIFF: Macquarie Rd remains closed northbound and southbound at Myall Rd as works to a burst water main continue. @HunterWater on site. pic.twitter.com/Esw1a9BPkZ

— Live Traffic NSW (@LiveTrafficNSW) March 25, 2018

RAAF base kicks off flight training

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Don't be alarmed if you hear aircraft flying overhead in Salt Ash this morning; the Williamtown RAAF base is conducting flight training today to run from 9am until 5pm.

Single or pairs of F/A-18A/B Hornet aircraft will conduct continuous passes, dropping training rounds over the Salt Ash Range.

The action will continue again at 7:30pm til 9:30pm at a higher altitude to minimize noise, while the RAAF says if they encounter inclement weather training may continue tomorrow.

Pedestrian struck at Hamilton South

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A 19-year-old man has been hit by a car at Hamilton South this morning.

Around 5:15 am, a car struck the young man on Gordon Avenue at Stewart Avenue, leaving him with injuries to his shoulder and knee.

Paramedics attended the scene to find the man breathing and alert, and he was taken via ambulance to the John Hunter Hospital.


It is understood the driver was left unharmed, while the accident caused the closure of one northbound lane.

Gordon Avenue at Stewart Avenue, Hamilton. Image: Google Maps.

Emergency Services Minister Attends Wallsend Fire Station Opening Amid Sonia Hornery Concerns

BY MADELAINE MCNEIL

Emergency Services Minister Troy Grant attended the official opening of Wallsend's new fire station this morning, but Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery remains disappointed with his decision to sell the original building.

Grant was joined at the new Summerhill Road premises by Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot Macdonald and representatives from Fire and Rescue NSW, but Sonia Hornery was not invited despite her strong advocacy for the new facilities.

Ms Hornery accused Mr Grant of "playing politics" with emergency services after he failed to respond to her requests to leave the original fire station in public hands.

Sonia Hornery had asked the Minister to keep the original Devon Street premises public in order to provide a space for use by community groups such as Blue Gum Hills Men's Shed, but the property was listed for sale earlier this week.

Troy Grant responded to Ms Hornery's accusations, telling 2NURFM News that he wasn't aware Ms Hornery wasn't invited to today's event until this morning.

"It was certainly not political," said Mr Grant.

"I know how immensely proud she is and it's all credit to her that the (new) fire station is now up and running."

The new Wallsend Fire Station. Picture: Facebook.

Nelson Bay Road Duplication Delayed by Funding 'Backflip'

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

The state government is accused of back-flipping on an election promise to fund the duplication of Nelson Bay Road.

Former Premier Mike Baird promised $67 million to the project in 2015, but Freedom of Information documents requested by Port Stephens MP Kate Washington have revealed funding won't begin until after the 2020-21 financial year.

Voters will now face another state election before the duplication is complete, and Kate Washington says she can't understand how the Berejiklian Government thinks it could regain local support.

"There is a state budget coming up. They have one last opportunity to do the right thing by our community and bring forward this spend so that the full duplication of Nelson Bay Road, as promised, is delivered." Ms Washington told 2NUR.

Shadow Roads Minister Jodi McKay says Premier Gladys Berijiklian needs to come clean and explain her role in the decision to delay funding.

"Premier Baird stood in Port Stephens and promised a full duplication, then failed to deliver." Minister McKay said, labelling the backflip an 'insult to the people of Port Stephens.'

Jodi McKay and Kate Washington. Picture: Marina Neil, theherald.com

Novocastrian chef recognised for community work

BY SHANIA WINKLEY

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian presented the Regional Communities Medal to a passionate Newcastle Chef at the 2018 Premiers Harmony Dinner last night.

President of the Newcastle Indian Association, Promila Gupta was nominated by Hunter Parliamentary Secretary, Scot MacDonald for dedicating her working life to promoting Indian culture and cuisine.

He says it’s outstanding to see a local community member recognised with one of the Premiers most prestigious medals.

Committing her professional life to promoting harmony in the Newcastle community, Ms Gupta says,
“Harmony for me is a bridge between cultures. A shared experience can help with relationships and one way I do this is with food."

Ms Gupta teaches Indian cooking at the WEA Hunter campus and is currently writing her third cookbook.

She has previously been awarded the Pride of Australia Award in 2006, was the South Australian Citizen of the Year in 2007 and worked for three years as a commissioner.

Minister for Multiculturalism Ray Williams congratulated Ms Gupta on her achievements.

“Day in day out, people like Ms Gupta strengthen our harmonious multicultural society and set an example for every member of our community,” Mr Williams said.

Promila Gupta. 

Tanilba Bay man arrested after injuring police officer

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A police officer responding to a noise complaint at Tanilba Bay last night has been injured following a confrontation with a homeowner.

Around 6pm, the officer attended a property following nuisance reports when Raymond Terrace police say he started behaving aggressively.

A scuffle ensued as a member of the public assisted the officer in controlling the 38-year-old man, who was arrested and charged with multiple offences including assaulting a police officer.

The officer sustained an injury to his arm and was taken via ambulance to the John Hunter Hospital, where doctors confirmed it to be minor soft tissue damage.

The alleged offender will appear at Raymond Terrace court later this month.

Newcastle Airport unveils 20 year vision

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

An improved terminal and increased parking are just two of the developments proposed in a Master Plan for Newcastle Airport.

After lengthy consultation, the 2036 Newcastle Airport Vision was announced at a community stakeholder breakfast this morning.

The Vision includes designs for a terminal transformation expanded over two levels; additional food and beverage businesses; international flights; aero-bridges from the upper level; the creation of a pedestrian plaza; and additional car parking facilities.

In addition, the plan calls for major modifications to integrate ground transport and road access, as well as the creation of a 'campus' style business precinct.

Newcastle Airport CEO, Dr Peter Cock, said Hunter residents deserve a vibrant airport and a clear vision of how it will operate in the future.

"We have an amazing region that is already Australia's largest regional economy and we anticipate our passenger numbers will keep increasing."

The CEO committed to expanding current travel numbers to double, possibly triple the current flight traffic.

The Hunter Business Chamber has welcomed the plan, with CEO Bob Hawes saying the plan provides evidence of the commitment we continue to see in the region.

"It's going to be a considerable activity centre," he said, "one that will have reach well beyond this region and put us on a stage nationally and internationally in terms of capacity and capability, and that's fantastic."

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald, joined Newcastle Airport officials and Lord Mayors, Nuatali Nelmes (Newcastle) and Ryan Palmer (Port Stephens) for the launch, and said they are all very excited about the Airport numbers coming through.

"There's around 1 million people [using the Airport], now they have a great master plan taking us as far out as 60 years.

"They have got a few gradual steps worked out to build the numbers up around the 5 million mark," Mr MacDonald said.

"We as a state government are very keen to support them, it's in our Regional Plan and Greater Metro Plan for the cases they're putting up for infrastructure," he continued, "whether that might be around the roads or land development around the Airport."

Opal data suggests declining patronage, says Labor

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Claims made by the NSW Transport Minister about the number of people jumping aboard Newcastle buses is being disputed by Labor.

Newcastle MP, Tim Crakanthorp claims on March 6, Andrew Constance told state parliament, "I took the January 2017 patronage numbers compared them to January 2018. In January 2017, the patronage numbers were 304, 330. In January of this year, there were 319, 360."

That would have represented a significant increase of 15, 330 patrons, however, Opal card data, published on the NSW government's website, shows only 300, 448 using Newcastle bus services in January 2018.

Tim Crakanthorp has labelled Andrew Constance's claims "disingenuous," and said the 4000 person decrease for January and decline of 8000 patrons in February makes sense, given public outcry over the revised system.

"This makes a lot of sense...we've got huge support from the community on this particular campaign to call for a full review and proper consultation on this service.

"We had 1000 people turn up at a community meeting in Belmont and about the same come to a rally [in Gregson Park] just last week."

However, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald has defended the Minister's comments, saying Mr Constance was referring to overall patronage sourced from both Opal and non-Opal data.

"The figures we rely on is overall patronage...the numbers, when combined, give us about a 9% increase.

"So we're getting that up-swing we've been expecting," he said.

"We can't just rely on the Opal data," Mr MacDonald continued, "because there are various concession users and people paying with cash.

"When we look at both the Opal and non-Opal figures, it is still quite encouraging."

Scot MacDonald emphasized the declining nature of the previous system as reason for the changed timetable.