Police Spot Man with Imitation Firearm at Belmont

BY KAYNE STEPHENS

A 21-year-old man will face court after allegedly possessing an unregistered firearm in Belmont on Thursday.

Police say the man was spotted by officers as they were passing on the Pacific Highway at around 2pm, noticing a man holding a pistol.

Officers say they approached the man, where he resisted arrest.

A search of the man uncovered a modified gel blaster.

Lake Macquarie Commander, Superintendent Danny Sullivan APM, said police treat imitation weapons as real firearms to ensure community safety.

“Imitation firearms can often be hard to distinguish from the real deal, as they are modelled closely on real weapons," he said.

“If a weapon looks real, officers will treat it as authentic until such a time that the weapon can be analysed – public safety will always come first,” Supt Sullivan said.

The man was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with offences including possessing an unregistered firearm and resisting arrest. He was refused bail and faces Belmont Local Court today.

Grants of up to $3000 for Musicians and Creatives in Lake Macquarie

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Lake Macquarie City Council is providing grants of to $3000 for local musicians and creatives as part of their Creative Industry Seed Grants program.

Four categories of funding are available under the program.

Five emerging musicians each year, over the age of 12, are eligible for grants of up to $500 to help with development and support of emerging musicians from Lake Macquarie.

“This could be used to create or deliver original performance works, upgrade instruments, make recordings or participate in gigs,” Manager Arts, Culture and Tourism, Jacqui Hemsley said.

Five $1000 grants will be awarded for projects covering art exhibitions and installations, theatre performances, literature, multimedia or film.

Ms Hemsley said Council was also offering five $500 grants for people to develop their professional creative skills through workshops, courses and other means.

“We’re also offering two $2500 grants each year for research and development into creative pursuits, whether it’s developing a script or publication, or preparing a business case for large-scale arts activities in Lake Mac,” Ms Hemsley said.

The new Lake Macquarie City Council Creative Industry Seed Grants program will provide a total $15,000 a year to emerging artists and musicians as part of its commitment to growing Lake Mac’s creative sector and supporting the creative economy.

“We’re urging talented applicants and emerging creatives to apply, to help them develop their own creative practice, profession or cultural pursuit,” Ms Hemsley said.

Applications close 5pm, 31 March, with funds distributed in June for projects in the 2021-22 financial year.

Information sessions on the new program will be held 5.30-6.30pm on Monday 9 March at Toronto Library, and 5.30-6.30pm on Thursday 19 March at Belmont Library.

Hunter Chosen for New Program Offering $14,000 Interest Free Loans on Solar-Battery Systems

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Eligible Hunter residents will be able to access interest-free loans for battery and solar-battery systems which could deliver more than $250 in savings a year.

The NSW Government launched the pilot program in the Hunter today, with interest-free loans of up to $14,000 for a solar-battery system, or up to $9,000 for the addition of a battery to an existing solar system.

Running for up to 12 months, the pilot will be available to eligible residents who have postcodes in the areas of Cessnock, Dungog, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Mid-Coast, Muswellbrook, Port Stephens, Singleton and Upper Hunter.

The loans will be available to owner-occupiers with an annual household income of up to $180,000. 

Environment Minister Matt Kean said the pilot is an important first step in the delivery of the NSW Government’s Empowering Homes program which will reduce energy bills for up to 300,000 households while helping the State to transition to a clean energy future.

“This is about unlocking the saving and sustainability benefits offered by solar-battery systems” Mr Kean said.

“For households that use more than 6,000kWh of electricity a year, installing a solar and battery system can help reduce their annual electricity bill by putting more than $250 a year back into your pocket.

“This will help create jobs, reduce emissions, increase system security and reliability, and place downward pressure on energy costs for everyone.

“The NSW Government remains committed to achieving net zero emissions in NSW by 2050 and this is one of the many clean energy initiatives we’re introducing to deliver on that target.”

Homeowners in the Hunter region are encouraged to check the Energy Saver website to see if their postcode is eligible and for details on how to apply. 

Westpac Rescue Helicopter Called To Serious Crash on the Central Coast

BY IAN CROUCH

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter has airlifted an injured woman to the John Hunter Hospital after a bad crash on the Central Coast last night.

Emergency services were called to reports of a single vehicle crash on Bumble Hill Road at Yarramalong just before 7.30pm on Thursday.

The sole occupant, a 68-year-old woman, was trapped and suffering from serious injuries.

She was cut free and stabilised before being airlifted to hospital.

Earlier, the chopper was called to a property at Booral south of Stroud where they flew a 54-year-old  woman to the John Hunter with serious chest and pelvic injuries after she was kicked by a horse.

Opposition Builds Against New Dams In The Hunter Valley

BY IAN CROUCH

A Hunter Valley community group is accusing Hunter Water of ignoring years of community consultation over proposals for two new dams in the region.

Community engagement on the Lower Hunter Water Plan in 2019 showed the majority of respondents preferred water recycling and harvesting as the top two options ahead of building dams, which came in at number 5 on the list.

Hunter Water has now put forward the idea of building dams at Limeburner's Creek and the Upper Chichester.

However the Save the Williams River Coalition says dams are expensive to build and will have a major impact on the environment and the viability of agriculture in the Dungog Shire.

The group says more than 94% of all water for Lower Hunter water consumers comes from the Williams River catchment, so there is already an over-reliance on that catchment and rainfall dependent systems. They say the ill-fated Tillegra Dam was canned due to the "unacceptable level of uncertainty of potential impact on the environment, particularly the Hunter Estuary and its internationally recognised wetlands", so any new dam proposal on this river system would have the same impact.

The state government wants the dam proposals considered as a means of future-proofing the region against drought.

Hunter Water says they are actively investigating all options as part of a comprehensive review of the Lower Hunter Water Security Plan. 

"Aside from water conservation and leakage reduction, no decisions have been made about what options will be included in the revised plan," a spokesperson from Hunter Water said. 

"We are exploring options to supplement our existing water supplies such as desalination, dams, groundwater and water sharing, as well as demand options to reduce the amount of water we use like recycling and storm water harvesting."

"We will continue to inform and engage with our community throughout the review process, before any decisions are made."

The existing Chichester Dam upstream of Dungog

Government Agrees To Settle Class Action Claims Over PFAS Contamination At Williamtown

BY IAN CROUCH

It's the beginning of the end of a five year battle by residents living near the Williamtown RAAF base to address the health and environmental impacts from chemicals which leeched into groundwater from firefighting foam used for many years at the defence facility.

Late on Wednesday night an in-principal agreement was reached and a confidential settlement was being finalised for three Federal Court class actions involving residents from Williamtown in NSW, Oakey in Queensland and Katherine in the Northern Territory. It comes after their properties were rendered worthless and unproductive by the contamination.

The breakthrough followed two days of intense negotiations during mediation talks between legal counsel for the residents and the Defence Department.

The talks were being viewed as the last opportunity to reach a settlement before the class actions were to be heard in the Federal Court in April and follows previous unsuccessful attempts where the parties could not reach agreement.

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and Defence Personnel Minister Darren Chester released a joint statement on Wednesday night say the Government remains committed to engaging with those impacted by PFAS contamination.

"Reaching a settlement is not the end of Defence's engagement in these communities, however, it does represent an important milestone on what has been a difficult journey for many people over the past few years." they said.

Paterson Mp Meryl Swanson has also welcomed the breakthrough, congratulating the community after their hard-fought battle for compensation.

"I just felt so proud of my community and what they've been through. They've been to hell and back - they've been so courageous, they've been smart, and this agreement last night is the first step in what has been a terrible journey for them." she said.

One of many signs erected by frustrated residents impacted by the PFAS contamination 

Fierce Storm Cuts A Swathe Through Newcastle and Lake Macquarie

BY IAN CROUCH

Emergency services have been kept busy after a number of intense storm cells swept over Newcastle and Lake Macquarie on Wednesday afternoon.

The State Emergency Service was called to 64 jobs in Newcastle and 29 in Lake Macquarie to reports of  trees down and leaking rooves.

Wallsend was the hardest hit by the storms, with 74 millimetres of rain recorded between 3 and 4pm.

A woman and two children had to be rescued by SES crews after water surrounded a shop at Islington.

Ausgrid has restored power to almost 15,000 thousand homes and businesses, with only a couple of hundred awaiting reconnection.

The University of Newcastle's Callaghan campus has reopened after being forced to close overnight.

Firefighters were called to extinguish a small fire at the Outback Jacks restaurant at Glendale after a parapet took a direct hit from lightning - 5 people were evacuated from the restaurant.

In a separate incident, a 26-year-old man has been taken to hospital after being rescued from a the Skate Park on Maitland Road at Islington just after 1.30am on Thursday morning.

New Terminal at Port of Newcastle Named in Infrastructure Australia's Priority List

BY SAMUEL BARTLETT

Infrastructure Australia today announced a priority project list which included initiatives such as the M1 Expansion, a $1.6 million John Hunter Hospital upgrade and a new deep water container port on the East Coast, possibly located the Port of Newcastle.

Port of Newcastle hopes to begin construction on a deep water port to boost exports and diversify imports beyond coal.

Spokesperson from the Port of Newcastle, Sam Collyer says, "a multipurpose deep water channel in Newcastle would align with national objectives."

Currently, no port along the East Coast can support the largest ships which are used to transport goods.

The Port of Newcastle said  the project would be part of a long term objective spanning more that ten years which would allow it to become more than just a coal port.

"Our ports in Australia are simply not capable of accommodating the ships which are being built around the world now," Mr Collyer said.

"So that's a problem for our economy, that's a problem for our international trading businesses and it's a problem for productivity across the nation."

Current State Government restrictions on the port mean it cannot expand, with the Port of Newcastle hoping the release of the priority list will prompt the Government to lift these restrictions.

"There is a need for ports that are capable of handling these ships. Already the Port of Newcastle is ready to build a 2 million TEU container terminal right now provided that penalty on Newcastle containers is removed," Mr Collyer said.

"We're pursuing productive discussions with all levels of government to ensure we can achieve an outcome which unlocks this private investment in NSW and ensures we can capture some of those economic benefits across the state."

                                            Image: Port of Newcastle

Hunter Sexual Abuse Survivor says New Reforms Should Lead to More Convictions

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Hunter survivor of child sexual abuse, Peter Gogarty, has welcomed reforms introduced to State Parliament today which will allow jurors to be told about an accused abusers prior convictions.

The changes in legislation are expected to remove a significant barrier preventing child sex offenders from being held to account and leading to ‘unwarranted acquittals’. 

University of Newcastle Criminologist, Peter Gogarty, suffered sexual abuse as a child from a member of the Catholic Church and says these reforms should dramatically increase convictions in the cases of other survivors. 

"These sorts of crimes happen very much in private so it becomes an I said, he said sort of scenario which has always worked to the benefit of the perpetrator," he said. 

"So now we have the potential for other victims of that same person to have their evidence heard in court. The value of that in terms of proving the behavior of a pedophile will have a dramatic improvement in having convictions of these people."

A Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard about many criminal proceedings in which evidence of an accused person previously offending against children was ruled inadmissible due to courts’concerns that it may unfairly prejudice the accused person. 

Mr Gogarty said the removal of these proceedings would have allowed him to provide evidence on his own abuser, which would have assisted in his conviction. 

"In my own case, I was prepared to give evidence against Father James Fletcher in somebody else's matter. The judge at the time thought my tendency evidence didn't have sufficient value under the legislation as it then existed," he said. 

"If that exact same case was to happen today, my evidence would have been admitted, the jury would hear that and I think that would result in more convictions and probably stronger sentences." 

NSW is the first Australian jurisdiction to introduce agreed legislation enabling greater admissibility of tendency and coincidence evidence, such as evidence about an accused person’s tendency to have a sexual interest in children. 

"The NSW Attorney General, Mark Speakmen has been pushing other States to follow suit. I'm confident that they will do that," Mr Gogarty said. 

Mr Gogarty says the reform is an amazing step forward, however there are still significant changes which need to be made. 

 "I think the other big issue that remains is the protection that is still afforded to the seal of the Confessional in the Catholic Church."

 "I know that the Attorney General is looking at that. I think they need to be bold and brave and say that protection no longer exists in the confessional when someone confesses to a child sexual assault."

                                     Survivor Peter Gogarty Image Credit: Maitland Mercury

Crews Tackle Fire In Upstairs Unit At Swansea Restaurant

BY IAN CROUCH

Quick work by firefighters has prevented a blaze spreading to a shop front at Swansea.

Crews from Belmont, Swansea and Tingira Heights were called to the Mandarin Palace Chinese restaurant on the Pacific Highway just after 9.30pm on Tuesday to find a fire in the kitchen of an upstairs unit.

4 people self-evacuated without incident.

It took crews about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control which caused fire and smoke damage to the kitchen and roof space above.

The cause of the fire is not known at this stage.

Firefighters at the Mandarin Palace Chinese Restaurant last night Picture: Craig Guldemond

Six New Police Foot Patrolling Hunter Streets

ISABEL EVERETT

Extra police will be out in force on the Hunter's and Central Coast's streets, with six new officers posted at Newcastle Police Station to perform foot patrols of the region.

The new officers are part of a high-visibility police unit and will be patrolling areas across Newcastle City, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Hunter Valley, Tuggerah Lakes and Brisbane Water.

The officers commenced their first foot patrols last week, targeting a range of offences including drug and alcohol related incidents.

"We still have too many assaults that are alcohol related, so they'll be working with licensing police in the local area as well," Northern Region Assistant Commissioner Max Mitchell said.

The Northern High-Visibility Police (HVP) Unit will also focus on entertainment hot spots throughout the region, including areas like Beaumont street and the Newcastle CBD.

 "We have a lot of events now in the wider Newcastle and Central coast area so where we have large areas of crowds gathering, what we want is this unit rolled out with other police," AC Mitchell said.

"People wanna feel safe and secure and this is what this teams primary focus is about."

The officers will be specifically trained in intelligence gathering, so they can proactively identify conflicts ranging from local level issues to more serious incidents.

AC Mitchell says the high-visibility teams will be a reassuring presence, playing a key role in disrupting crime and anti-social behavior.

"High-visibility policing is a crucial element of regional policing – we want our communities to know we are there in numbers to protect and support them 24/7."

“The Northern HVP Unit will have the ability to be deployed wherever our demand and need is. They are highly-skilled and available to engage with the public – we want you to come up and talk to them, tell them what is happening in your neighborhood."

“By targeting crime with more boots on the ground and in a highly-visible manner, it’s hoped offenders will have second thoughts before breaking the law,” AC Mitchell said.

The Unit will be patrolling crime hotspots, roads, transport networks, local neighborhoods, and planned events.

Home Damaged By Fire At The Junction

BY IAN CROUCH

Fire crews have been called to a house fire at The Junction overnight.

Firefighters from Newcastle, Lambton and Charlestown arrived at the single storey home on Corlette Street just after 6.00pm on Monday to find smoke issuing from the building.

They took almost 2 hours to extinguish and mop up the blaze which destroyed one room inside the home.

No-one was injured during the incident.

Fresh Hope For Lexie's Cafe At Stockton

BY IAN CROUCH

There's fresh hope the much-loved Lexie's Cafe at Stockton could be re-opened.

Cafe owner Nick Sovechles and Newcastle City Council are working on a plan which centres on securing insurance for the building.

In the meantime, a temporary cafe will open to the east of the Stockton Ferry Terminal - likely to be called Lexie's On The River.

Lexie's On The Beach was closed indefinitely last week after an engineers report found the building was at imminent risk of wave impact in a one-in-two year storm event.

New hope for Lexie's On The Beach Picture: nbnnews.com.au

Woman Winched From Rock Fall At Hawks Nest

BY IAN CROUCH

A woman is recovering in the John Hunter Hospital after falling on rocks and injuring her ankle at Hawks Nest.

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to the nearby headland just before 5.30pm on Monday.

Paramedics were winched down to the 29-year-old and stabilised her condition before she was winched on board the chopper and flown to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

The injured woman is winched on board the Westpac Rescue Helicopter at Haws Nest

Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council will Investigate Elders Concerns over Stockton Cabin Relocation

BY ISABEL EVERETT

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council will investigate a Worimi elders concern, Newcastle City Council's relocation of 16 cabins from the Stockton Caravan Park  has resulted in "cultural destruction" of the land.

The cabins were moved to an area near Stockton Pool, with reports a local resident is calling for an Interim Protection Order for the land, over concerns damage has been done to culturally significant sites without proper consultation.

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council says they will investigate the locals concerns, however their organisation did not raise the issue.

"I wasn't aware of the re-location of the cabin's to that area. The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land council did not lodge, initiate or instigate the complaint over the re-location," CEO of the Council, Andrew Smith said.

"Having said that, as an organisation we have a statutory responsibility to protect cultural heritage. Now that the complaint has been lodged, similar to Newcastle City Council and National Parks, we will have a look at what the concerns are, and what are the non compliance's in relation to the relocation of the cabins."

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council says despite possible issues with the re-location, they understand Newcastle City Council's decision to make the move.

"I understand why Council has done it, I get that the Stockton Community have a massive battle in front of them with the beach erosion. I think they are responding the best way they can," Mr Smith said.

"I guess I would have hoped the Council would have undertaken due diligence in relation to the re-location. What's done is done, we just need to make sure we can justify the outcomes and make sure we're not compromising or destroying Aboriginal Heritage."

The Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council says they will meet with Newcastle City Council, and The National Parks and Wildlife Service to discuss the elder's concerns.

"There'll be an onsite meeting to have a look at the location to see if there were spoils of any earth during the moving activity and to see if there's been any disturbance to Aboriginal sites," Mr Smith said.

"And as a result of that a discussion and negotiations will take place, but until we get that information there really isn't any clear position in relation to what the consequences will be."

Mr Smith says he is concerned the community may be under the impression the organisation as a whole made the complaint, rather then a single member.

"The local resident has Worimi Ancestry and as a result people then associate the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council and then the Worimi Community as a whole, and then we all become targeted by social media trolling which is unfortunate."

"We are not the instigators of the complaint, but I fear the wave of repercussions has commenced and it's likely now we are going to start receiving abusive phone calls, and people will start smashing bottles in our drive ways and all sorts of ridiculous stuff."

                                              Relocated Cabins Image Credit: Newcastle Herald

Motorcyclist Killed In Crash At Bucketty

A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner following the death of a motorcyclist in the Hunter Valley on Sunday afternoon.

Emergency services were called to Great North Road, Bucketty (40km north-west of Somersby), about 4.30pm, responding to reports of a crash involving a motorcycle and SUV.

Officers from Hunter Valley Police District were told a man was riding north and a Mitsubishi SUV was being driven south, when the crash occurred in the southbound lane.

The SUV left the road, crashing down a ravine trapping the driver, while the motorcyclist was thrown down the same ravine.

Paramedics were winched by helicopter down the ravine to the injured motorcyclist; however, he died a short time after being brought up to the roadway.

He is believed to have been aged 59 and from Mardi.

A 44-year-old woman, from Paxton, was released from the wreckage of her SUV and escaped with relatively minor injuries.

She was taken to Wyong Hospital for mandatory testing.

Police were assisted at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics, Rescue helicopter crew, RFS and VRA volunteers.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.

Lord Mayor says State Government Puts Up "Road Blocks" to Stockton Erosion Solution

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Newcastle Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes met with Local MP's and Stockton residents on Friday, calling for an "all government approach" to the ever worsening erosion crisis on Stockton's coast line.

"It's to the point where all we are doing is managing Natural Disasters and trying to prevent any future disasters," Ms Nelmes said.

"We are working under our approved Coastal Zone management plan. Council can manage disaster risk and short-medium term actions but at this point in time we don't have any solutions for the long term state of Stockton Beach."

Labor Shadow Minister for Local Government Greg Warren, and Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp met with the Mayor to address the the Minister for Local Government, Shelley Hancock's response to issue.

They said despite the Minister for Local Government declaring the beach as an open coast location (erosion hotspot), meaning the State Government is able to fast-track applications for funding, there are still two outstanding grant applications from Newcastle City Council that the Minister is yet to approve. 

The applications include one for $498,000 requested for coastal protection works at the southern end of Griffith Avenue and Stone Street and an additional $240,000 for beach nourishment along the southern part of Stockton Beach.

"We know what we need. We need to get huge volumes of sand that are deposited off shore in areas that are controlled by the NSW Government, we need to dredge that sand and it get it back on the beach," Ms Nelmes said. 

"Their legislation prohibits that action at the moment, we have asked on numerous occasions not just to the local government Minister, we've also made representation to the Deputy Premier."

"Those bureaucrats have come back here, to hear our community liaison groups, and have put forward many road blocks in allowing that to occur."

Stockton Beach Disappearing

                                 Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, talking to Lexies on The Beach Cafe Owner, Nick Sovechles