New Bishop Appointed in the Region

BY ALEXANDRA REES

Bishop Michael Kennedy from Armidale, has been named the new bishop of the Diocese of Maitland Newcastle. 

It follows the untimely death of Bishop Bill Wright in 2021. 

Bishop Kennedy said "I willingly and heartily accept this new appointment, knowing that like all new endeavors, it will hold both joys and challenges."

"To be the chief pastor leading a diocese in worship, teaching, evangelization and governance is an awesome privilege and responsibility" he said. 

Pope Francis made the official announcement in Rome yesterday. 

Bishop Kennedy will be the ninth Bishop for the Diocese. 

 

Bishop Michael Kennedy

 

John Hunter Hospital Staff Rally

BY CAOIMHE MACCARTHY

Allied health professionals, cleaners, and kitchen staff gathered outside the John Hunter Hospital during their lunch break today in order to support their colleagues facing uncertain futures at Maitland Hospital.

At 12.30pm a staff rally was held to highlight their concerns to the community over the delivery of public health services in the new Maitland Hospital at Metford.

"What we want to do is highlight to the Government that we might be out in the regional area but we're just as important as the other four hospitals that are now being publically funded", says Cindy Paull from the Health Services Union, "Maitland deserves exactly the same treatment".

Staff from the John Hunter Hospital rallied to show their support for their work colleagues in Maitland outlining that the community will not benefit from the hospital privatisation and further concerns about job security and the importance of nurse-to-patient ratios.

"They believe just like everybody else in the community down in Maitland that Maitland deserves a public hospital, so what they're doing today is they're showing their support for the community and also for their fellow workers".

This Sunday at Maitland Park another rally will be held - calling out for members of the community to get behind the message that Maitland is as deserving as any other NSW community for the right to a public hospital.

John Hunter Hospital health workers join in support to keep Maitland Hospital Public.. @HSUNSW @nswnma @ASMOFnsw #hunterworkers @unionsnsw pic.twitter.com/d7w1kaJkS7

— Hunter Workers (@HunterUnions) November 21, 2017

$94 Million Funding Boost for Hunter Schools

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

Public schools across the Hunter are set to receive a whopping $94.5 million in needs-based funding for 2018.

It's part of a record $1.9 billion in Government funding delivered to schools across the state which is an increase of 8% on last year's funds.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald the region has down quite well for itself.

"Cessnock is getting nearly $18 million, Charlestown schools $9.8 million, Lake Macquarie nearly $10 million, Maitland nearly $16 million, Newcastle schools $6.8 million, Port Stephens schools $11.8 million, Swansea schools nearly $11 million, [and] Wallsend also $11 million so I'm particularly pleased that Hunter schools seem to be doing well out of [the funding]."

With the funds, local schools will be able to address the needs of their students and implement new initiatives for their educational benefit.

Scot MacDonald says each school will nominate where they want the funds to be spent.

"But traditionally, they'll go towards things like literacy and numeracy support, teacher training, speech pathologist those sorts of things. The local schools are best at identifying how that funding should be spent."

Belmont High School [Image: BHS]

The Government also announced a $25 million upgrade to Belmont High School earlier this week, with work expected to begin next year.

Though it's currently in the design phase, the project is looking at upgrading the school's administration block, building a new performing centre, technology learning centre, flexible learning spaces, toilets and a canteen.

Catholic teachers call for fairer dispute resolution

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Teachers and support staff from 43 Catholic schools in the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese have signed a petition calling for the right to have disputes with employers heard by the Fair Work Commission.

Representatives from the Independent Education Union went to the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese head office yesterday to hand over the document, which was backed by 2000 union members.

Under current arrangements, Catholic school teachers are not afforded the same rights as those in the public sector, with Catholic employers fighting for veto powers over disputes heard in the NSW Fair Work Commission.

Organiser of the NSW Independent Education Union, Therese Fitzgibbon, says the Union will not settle an enterprise agreement on behalf of Catholic teachers until the agreement protects the teachers' right to arbitration.

She says fair arbitration is necessary for settling a whole host of workplace disputes between teachers and their employers.

"It could affect our workload agreements, which may relate to class sizes or face-to-face teaching," Ms Fitzgibbon says, "We have agreements in place but sometimes there are disagreements relating to how clauses are interpreted.

"What we have to do is make sure there's the capacity for an independent person to interpret those clauses."

The Union is hoping to resolve the issue quickly, as teachers prepare to strike in term four if they cannot reach an agreement with the CSO.