Lake Macquarie dangerous driving blitz ends in 10 arrests

BY JARROD MELMETH

Lake Macquarie Police conducted a dangerous driving blitz on Monday which resulted in 11 arrests.

Officers undertook Operation Amrap between 7am and 5pm targeting drink and drug driving offences, along with compliance with the current health orders.

During the operation 80 vehicles were stopped, 74 drivers undertook a random breath test, with a 43-year-old man charged with mid-range drink driving at Wangi Oval in Arcadia Vale. 

Police will allege he returned a positive test result roadside, before he was arrested and taken to Belmont Police Station where he recorded an alleged blood alcohol reading of 0.089.

The operation also saw 37 drivers undergoing random drug testing, with seven drivers returning a positive result. All drivers were arrested with secondary analysis being sent for further testing.

Two disqualified drivers were charged with driving will disqualified and one person was issued with a $1000 PIN for breaching the public health order.

Lake Macquarie Police District Duty Officer, Chief Inspector Craig Reid says it’s concerning to see the number of drivers getting behind the wheel under the influence.

“Seven drivers out of 37 recorded a positive roadside result – that is a worrying number of motorists who proceed to put not only their own lives at risk, but the lives and safety of those on the road around them. 

“Those secondary results will be forensically tested and if they return a positive result, then those drivers will be charged and put before the courts.

“Lake Macquarie Police will be continuing to target drivers who think they can get away with drink or drug driving – you will see us in numbers on the main arterial roads, the back routes,” Ch Insp Reid said.

Allegedly Stolen Goods Worth $50,000 Uncovered at Belmont

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

Police have discovered a stockpile of stolen goods at Lake Macquarie believed to be worth roughly $50,000.

Detectives investigating a string of alleged copper thefts across the region searched a Belmont home two weeks ago, on Wednesday, September 25.

Officers discovered more than 50 allegedly stolen items during the search of the Arlington Street home, including a field line marker, floor sander, concrete cutter, high pressure cleaner and ceiling projector.

Police are now hoping to identify the owners of the stolen items.

Anyone with information about the thefts or who believes the items may belong to them can contact Belmont Police Station on 4922 8899.

Two Charged Over Belmont Break and Enter

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

Two men are due to face court following an alleged break and enter at a Belmont home.

Police say at about 1:30 Monday afternoon the offenders made off with jewellery, passports and personal items before leaving the scene in a Toyota Corolla.

The car was spotted on Kambora Close, Windale an hour and a half later prompting police to conduct a search warrant.

During the search,  the 26 and 27-year-old men were discovered hiding from officers inside a roof cavity.

It's also alleged police located proceeds from the break-in at the home.

Both men have been charged with aggravated break enter and steal in company.

The older man is also facing fraud and driving offences.

The 26-year-old has been charged with an outstanding domestic violence and prison warrant as well as domestic violence offences.

The pair were refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday.

Alleged Drunk Driver Arrested At Belmont

BY IAN CROUCH

Police say it took a man caught high range drink driving  at Belmont 10 attempts to remove his wallet from his pocket before handing over his licence.

It's alleged the 29-year-old had earlier fled from the car park of a local hotel on Saturday night after reversing his Mercedes into a parked car.

He was stopped by police a short time later where it's claimed he refused to submit to a breath test and demanded to see his lawyer.

The man had to be physically escorted from his car and was taken to Belmont Police Station where he allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of point 2-6-8, more than 5 times the legal limit.

He's been charged with High Range PCA. refuse roadside breath test and leaving the scene of an accident and is due to face Belmont Local Court on April 17.

Four Teens Arrested After Wild Pursuit Through Lake Macquarie

BY IAN CROUCH

Police have arrested four teenagers over a terrifying crime spree through Lake Macquarie.

It began just before 5.30 yesterday morning when a Nissan Navara was stolen from a driveway on Myall Road at Cardiff.

It's alleged the utility was used to tear up the turf on a sports field on John Fisher Drive at Belmont before hitting a parked car on Beach Street at Belmont South.

Officers then spotted the vehicle and gave chase along the Pacific Highway with speeds reaching 140 kilometres per hour in a 90 zone on the Newcastle Inner City Bypass, with reports the vehcile was weaving in and out of traffic and swervibg onto the wrong side of the road.

The ute hit another car on Lookout Road at New Lambton before it was abandoned on McCaffery Drive at Rankin Park.

No one was injured.

Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District located the vehicle nearby and arrested four youths.

An 18-year-old man, a 16-year-old girl, a 14-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy were taken to Belmont Police Station.

The 18-year-old man was charged with 10 offences, including:

• Take and drive conveyance without consent of owner
• Negligent driving (x2)
• Destroy or damage property
• Police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously
• Special category driver drive with special range PCA
• Not comply P1 licence (no P plates)
• Not give particulars to other driver (x2)
• Class A m/v exceed speed > 45 km/h

He was granted strict conditional bail and is due to appear before Belmont Local Court on Wednesday 28 March 2018.

The 17-year-old boy was charged with be carried in conveyance taken without consent of owner. He was granted strict conditional bail to appear before a children’s court on Monday 26 March 2018.

The two girls will be dealt with under the Youth Offenders Act.

Man Stabbed in Altercation at Glendale

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A man is recovering in the John Hunter Hospital after allegedly being stabbed by a man known to him in Glendale.

Police say just before 7pm, an altercation allegedly broke out between a 45-year-old man and a 33-year-old-man at a unit on Claire Street.

The 45-year-old attacked the other man with a knife causing a puncture wound to the 33-year-old's chest before leaving the scene.

Police tracked down and arrested the 45-year-old and he was bail refused to appear at Newcastle Local Court this morning. He was charged with reckless wounding.

The motivation behind the incident is not yet known.

The 33-year-old's stab wound is non-life threatening and he remains in a stable condition in hospital.

New Community Facilities Between Belmont And Moonee

BY ANNABEL ROBINSON

Lake Macquarie City Council has proposed new infrastructure upgrades worth around $64 million to help enhance recreational facilities around the Belmont, Swansea and Catherine Hill Bay areas.

With the new residential areas growing around Catherine Hill Bay, this draft contributions plan has considered the types and location of facilities that will be needed for a growing community such as Newcastle's.

This new infrastructure plan aims to cater for an extra 7250 people by 2030.

Mayor of Lake Macquarie City Council, Cr  Kay Fraser is excited to announce the new community facilities along the Belmont and Moonee areas.

"The plan identifies 44 open spaces and recreational projects with a value of more than $54 million, as well as upgrades to community facilities," Cr Fraser said.

A few key projects included in the proposal are extensions to the Fernleigh track with a shared pathway through to Blacksmiths, enhancing of Green Point Foreshore Reserve with new walking trails and playgrounds, a new surf club at Cathrine Hill Bay, upgrades to Swansea Swim Centre and a refurbishment to Belmont library.

The Belmont Development Contributions Plan will go to the Ordinary Council Meeting early next week.

Mayor Of Lake Macquarie, Councillor Kay Fraser, at the
 Belmont end of the Fernleigh track. Image supplied.

Belmont Baths Design Milestone

BY MATT JOHNSTON

The re-establishment of the Belmont Baths is one step closer to becoming a reality, with Lake Macquarie City Council completing a new concept design for the swimming and recreation area. The former facility was destroyed during the superstorm in 2015.

In April, council voted to build a new jetty and protected swimming enclosure to replace the damaged infrastructure. Council's acting Manager of Community Planning, Wes Hain, says they've recently reached the "milestone" of approving a concept design for the new project.

The concept design will be used during consultation periods with the project's stakeholders, including members of the community and contractors.  The vision for the project includes a 70-metre-long swimming enclosure, an access ramp to deep water, a new jetty, and more accessible amenities.

"Accessibility was a key aspect of the design as we want the new Belmont Baths to be a space that all members of our community can use and enjoy," says Mr Hain.

Early cost estimates put the bill at approximately $700,000, some of which council hopes to have subsidised. Council project officer David Middleton says they're "seeking extra funds for the amenities work, which we're confident we'll be successful with those [applications]".

Work is expected to commence in the second half of 2018, with the project expected to be completed in time for Christmas.

Belmont TAFE sale 'likely'

BY MATT JOHNSTON

Shadow Minister for Skills Prue Car says "the hiring of a divestment portfolio manager is just the latest step in the government's agenda to sell or close TAFE campuses across the state".

 The new divestment portfolio, whose manager is on a $180,000 salary, has Belmont and Meadowbank TAFE campuses listed as likely candidates for sale according to leaked government documents. Minister Car says "the communities around those colleges have every right to be concerned about the future of those campuses".

Across New South Wales TAFE enrollments are down 175,000 since 2012, and 5,600 teaching positions have been slashed, according to Ms Car. "What we need to be doing is to be encouraging young people to get back into TAFE colleges, to be learning the skills they need to get good jobs".

"The Hunter is a community that greatly needs TAFE and greatly needs the skills that it teaches our young people... It'll be devastating for regions like the Hunter if we don't stop this trend [of sell-offs and lowered enrollments]."

In other towns like Quirindi and Dapto, where TAFE campuses have already been divested, replacement services are little more than shopfronts with an internet connection. "You cannot learn to be a baker or a carpenter or an electrician via a shopfront with computers. You need a TAFE college with a teacher and real-world experience."

https://www.facebook.com/TAFENSW/

Low Resources Putting Hunter Paramedics in Danger

BY LAUREN KEMPE

The Health Services Union is calling on the state government to provide more protection for Hunter paramedics after another attack from a patient.

The latest incident occurred on Sunday morning, where a 19-year-old man allegedly bit a local paramedic on the arm, drawing blood.

New South Wales Police and two paramedics were called to a Muswellbrook home proceeding a concern for welfare report.

Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes, says the Premier needs to seriously consider paramedic safety as a priority.

'It;s very simple. The Premier needs to stop quoting about a $5.4billion surplus, and start employing paramedics who can actually change peoples' lives, and resource the ambulance service to a level where paramedic safety can be guaranteed.'

The incident follows a similar attack at Belmont in April this year, where a man assaulted one paramedic and threatened another who were both assisting a pregnant woman.

Mr Hayes says these kinds of incidents are very common, and paramedics deserve significantly more protection.

'The ambulance service is grossly under-resourced, we say a figure of 800 - in fact, it's more like 1,000 extra paramedics that are required. It's really an important issue that needs to be consistently raised about paramedic safety.

'I think it is really important for the community to very clearly tell the government that paramedics need to be protected while they're protecting others.'

The 19-year-old male patient is expected to be charged with assault.

Image Credit: https://www.greenleft.org.au/content/vic-paramedics-highest-trained-lowest-paid

Fire at Belmont High School

BY JARROD MELMETH

Students have been evacuated from Belmont High School following a fire believed to have broken out in a wood work classroom just after 12pm.

Fire and rescue crews were called to the scene of the fire, which is believed to have started in the classrooms dust extractor.

No one is believed to be injured, but police and ambulance are on the scene as a precaution.

Family lucky to escape after fire engulfed their home in Belmont

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

A family has been lucky to escape their home in Belmont North overnight when it was engulfed by fire.

Just after 10:30pm fire crews from Belmont and Tingira Heights arrived to find a fire which started in the garage and spread to the roof of the home in Bimbadeen Close.

Fire caused extensive damage to the home.

Police say while they're not treating the fire as suspicious, crime scene investigators will return later this morning to determine how it started.

Rescue Helicopter officially says hello to Belmont

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter's new home at Belmont was officially opened this morning by NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan.

The base is worth $5.5 million and enables the NSW Ambulance and Hunter New England Health medical team to deliver faster and go further across regional, rural and remote NSW communities.

The opening of the Belmont base is part of the $151.2 million state-wide Helicopter Retrieval Network which is the single biggest NSW Government investment in aeromedical services in the state's history.

"This is a $5.5 million base and that's not even counting the aircraft which is here to support it so when you look at it $2.2 million was directly out of Restart Hunter and it was a great leg up to the partnership and it's allowed us to deliver a great base to the community," said Commissioner Dominic Morgan.

It's one of the first new NSW Ambulance & Westpac Rescue Helicopters in the state funded in part by the NSW Government.

Helicopter Paramedic Adam Butt couldn't more happy to work at what is a world class base.

"The last base that we worked at Broadmeadow, it started off as a very small base and it grew and we just kind of tacked on little bits as we got more funding and this base is purposefully designed for our workflow from us getting the job, getting into the operations plan, getting into the aircraft, starting the aircraft and getting underway," he said.

It's been in the making for many years, and is sure to be in service for many to come.

"If you're a doctor or a nurse or a pilot or a crewman and you got to work from this base, you were thinking you were working in the best possible place in your career so many of the staff that have joined with us now as part of the partnership have come from other organisations and couldn't be happier with the aircraft they get to fly on," said Commissioner Dominic Morgan.

Armed robber hands himself in

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Allegedly armed with a machete, a man attempted to rob a restaurant at Lake Macquarie overnight, but in the end, he handed himself in.

Police allege just after closing time at 10pm the 21-year-old approached a restaurant on the Pacific Highway near High Street at Belmont.

He tried to gain entry to the building via a closed side entrance and then demanded money from an employee before fleeing empty handed.

Police began investigations, but before long the man handed himself in at Belmont Police Station.

He was arrest and charged with robbery whilst armed with an offensive weapon and being armed with intent to commit an indictable offence.

He faces Newcastle Local Court today.

BREAKING! Fire Rips Through Belmont Unit

BY IAN CROUCH

Fire has severely damaged a Housing Commission unit at Belmont.

Neighbours of the Belstone Avenue unit complex woke to the sound of glass popping just before 3.30 this morning.

Fire crews from Tingira Heights, Belmont and Charlestown arrived to find smoke issuing from the roof amid fears someone was trapped inside.

Thankfully, no-one was home at the time.

It took about 20 minutes to extinguish the fire which was contained to a bedroom - the rest of the unit was damaged by smoke.

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

Remains Of Missing Belmont Mother Found

BY IAN CROUCH

 Police have confirmed the remains of missing Belmont mother, Carly McBride have been found.

The discovery was made on Sunday near Scone.

The 31-year-old was last seen on Calgaroo Avenue at Muswellbrook in September 2014.

Her social media account was mysteriously deleted shortly after she went missing.

Police are treating her disappearance and death as suspicious and will address the media this afternoon.

Carly McBride

Body Found At Belmont - Updated

BY IAN CROUCH

 A crime scene has been set up at Belmont following the discovery of a body in the water.

A passer-by made the discovery at about 6.45 this morning along the foreshore near Brookes Parade.

Police say they are not treating the death as suspcious.

If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Lack Macquarie Graffiti concerns

Lake Macquarie business chambers have expressed concern about Council's plan to strip graffiti removal funding

Currently Council gives money to town centers to assist in the removal of graffiti however, Lake Macquarie Council says it is capable of dealing with graffiti swiftly without the program.

Business owner are worried the responsibility will fall on them

Belmont and Charleston Chambers of Commerce Business Developer, Jenny Barrie, says business are very concerned.

"Council has the juvenile justice and they often use local volunteers to do clean up, so it's sort of like a group project but once the chambers are not able administrate, it relies back on council to do all the work. It is a real problem... that needs a collective group to work together on continuously." 

Hunter unemployment predicted to rise

A recent study has revealed large parts of the Hunter will likely see an increase in unemployment throughout this year.

The study released by the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE) at the end of last year named 14 Hunter and Central Coast suburbs as high risk localities for unemployment rises.

The suburbs included; Muswellbrook, Singleton, Belmont South and Maitland West.

CofFEE Director, Professor Bill Mitchell said the study is the second of its kind for the area.

The reason for higher unemployment was contributed to a high rate of causal work and lower education levels among residents.

 “Regions that have a high percentage of casual or part time work can tend to face more job loss that regions that have strong full time employment,” Professor Mitchell said.

The areas at risk also had a high concentration of “sensitive” industries.

“We know that some industries like manufacturing, construction, retail trade, hospitality, these sorts of sectors are more sensitive to economic slowdown than other industries. So if a local area has a high proportion of the more sensitive industries it’s likely that they’ll experience greater job loss,” Professor Mitchell said.

The national unemployment rate was 5.8 per cent as of December and is expected to rise above 6 per cent this year.