Fire Crews Busy on Hunter Blazes

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

UPDATE: 2:15pm

The fire at Main Creek Dungog has been downgraded back to ADVICE.

Crews are working to keep the blaze within containment lines.

UPDATE: 2pm

RFS crews are attending to a fire at Main Creek Dungog which is currently at WATCH and ACT level.

It's burnt through around 14 hectares on Main Creek Road and is yet to be controlled.

Fire crews are on the ground trying to control the blaze as there are isolated properties in the area.

James Morrison from the RFS says at this stage no properties are directly under threat, but the situation could change in an instant - if you live along Killarney Road or Skimmings Gap Road the advice is to implement your bush fire survival plan now.

Meanwhile,

There is still a small bushfire on Old Maitland Road at Abermain and another on the Abermain Fire Trail which has burnt through around 2 hectares.

EARLIER:

Firefighters are working to contain a number of bush fires across the Hunter.

RFS crews have been called to a 1 hectare fire on Old Maitland Road at Abermain.

Water bombers have been called in to assist with a 14 hectare fire at MAIN CREEK north east of Dungog and another 14 hectare blaze at Chichester Dam.

And, a fire on the Golden Highway at Denman is now under control after burning through 5 hectares.

Man arrested following armed robbery at Abermain

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A 35-year-old man has been arrested and held on multiple charges following an armed robbery in Abermain on Monday.

Police arrested the man at around 5pm yesterday after stopping a vehicle on Victory Parade, Jesmond.

It follows his alleged involvement in a break-and-enter at Abermain bowling club on Monday evening.

It is alleged the arrested man and another man forced their way into the bowling club, armed with a shortened firearm and sledge hammer, and approached a female employee before binding her hands and feet with duct tape. They then proceeded to ransack the premises, fleeing in a stolen vehicle with a large sum of cash.

Police attended the bowling club, where they untied the woman and established a crime scene. A stolen vehicle was found burnt-out in a nearby street.

The man has been charged with armed robbery, damage to property by fire and driving while disqualified.

He is also facing larceny charges relating to an incident on Sunday 11th June at a hardware store at Taylors Beach.

Investigations into the robbery continue, whilst the man has been refused bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court today.

Woman taped up after robbery at Abermain

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are investigating an armed robbery at Abermain Bowling Club where a female employee was left terrified after being tied up with duct tape by two men.

At about 10:30 last night, the pair smashed the front doors of the club with a sledgehammer and reportedly threatened the employee with a firearm before tackling her to the ground.

The men tied the woman up, but released her a short time later demanding she access the safe and then took her to the gaming area where they forced her to get cash from an ATM, an e-bet machine and poker machines.

The woman was taped up for a second time, before the men fled the scene with a large amount of cash in a white Nissan Pulsar not even ten minutes later.

Police later found the car burnt out nearby.

Officers from the Central Hunter Local Area Command set up a crime scene and anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Hunter schools receive funding for before and after school care

BY JARROD MELMETH

Three schools across the Hunter have received a share of almost $90,000 in an effort to expand and create more places in before and after school care.

The funding comes from the New South Wales Government Before and After School Care Fund, a $20 million initiative.

Holy Cross Primary School Glendale received 429,750 for a service expansion creating 58 places; St Josephs School Merewether received $30,000 for a service expansion creating 130 places; Abermain Public School received $30,000 for a new service creating 50 places.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the funding is great news for busy families, who need the extra flexibility that before and after school care provides.

"It is about expanding oportunities for before and after school care around our schools.

"Our parents are very busy people. This just gives them the opportunity and extra places to leave their children either before or after school to fit in with their schedules.

"I think it is very important and this is one program I strongly support," Mr MacDonald said.

Scot MacDonald.

Fix the congestion, RMS: Mayor

Bob Pynsent

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

It’s only been a day since the opening of Frame Drive Bridge at Abermain on Wednesday, but Cessnock Council has already begun to hear complaints from residents over increased congestion on connector roads.

It’s prompted Council to call on Roads and Maritime Services to honour two-year-old conversations to improve safety on various connector roads.

“We do anticipate the return of traffic on Frame Drive Bridge will have a profound impact as it will again serve as a major connector road to and from the Hunter Expressway,” Mayor Bob Pynsent said.

“The bridge has been open barely a day and we’ve already got complaints about queuing to get through both these intersections.”

The intersection of Hart Road, Government Road and Gingers Lane has been flagged as of particular concern, with Cr Pynsent calling on RMS to do something about it.

He says a round-a-bout or traffic lights need to be installed at the intersection as well as the intersection of Hart Road and Frame Drive.

“RMS needs to follow up on the commitment they gave to assist Cessnock City Council in the safety concerns with the opening of Frame Drive Bridge,” Cr Pynsent said.

“We’ve been talking, but there hasn’t been one cent of a financial commitment at this point.”

Community anger about the increased congestion has been of particular interest to Council, with Cr Pynsent saying there were pre-emptive complaints before Wednesday’s opening.

“We had a series of complaints before we even opened Frame Drive Bridge yesterday.  The people have flagged this issue with us and that was existing before the bridge was damaged in the April storms,” he said.

“Now the bridge is opened, now is not the time to remain idle.  We are urging the NSW Government to make this a priority to ensure the safety of our road users,” Cr Pynsent said.

The Frame Drive Bridge was demolished in April 2015, after it was badly damaged during the superstorm that blew itself across the Hunter.

Significant improvement, including adding a second lane and constructing the bridge out of concrete led to assurances that the bridge would have a use life of at least 100 years.

Possible closure of Weston Fire Station

BY JESSICA ROUSE

There are strong concerns the fire station at Weston, near Cessnock, could close with the state government reportedly planning to join the station with Abermain.

The Abermain fire station is less than four kilometres down the road from the Weston fire station, but both have proven to be vitally important in recent bush fire emergencies in the area.

With ferocious fire ripping through Kurri Kurri and Heddon Greta this week residents, firefighters, and local politicians alike, are expressing their concern of the potentially dangerous move.

Cessnock MP Clayton Barr is particularly concerned the state government is making cuts to resources the community need, and would suffer to be without.

"As recently as this week, we've seen those incredible fires throughout that area and we saw them less than two weeks ago and then less than two months ago again. It is just absurd that these cuts would be taking place in a place surrounded by bushland like Cessnock and Kurri and Abermain, and more broadly across the Hunter."

There has reportedly been little to no consultation with the community, let alone with fire fighters in the area.

"Mike Baird has announced his retirement, but the policies of Mike Baird live on and the minister who is enacting the policies of Mike Baird. or his government, which is to cut $22 million out of fire and rescue NSW staffing and fire stations."

Eight charged with drug related offenses in the Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A number of arrests were carried out yesterday in the areas of Abermain, Weston and Chisholm  leading to the arrest of five males and three females.

Strike Force Oleria have been investigating the supply of prohibited drugs since October this year, and carried out six search warrants and six crime scene warrants in relation to drug operations.

48 police from Central Hunter Local Area Command were deployed to carry out the arrests.

All eight people were charged with drug related offenses and refused bail to appear in Maitland Local Court today.