Manhunt Continues After Wild Pursuit Through Lake Macquarie And Newcastle

 BY IAN CROUCH

Two people remain on the run after leading police on a wild pursuit through Lake Macquarie and Newcastle suburbs.

Police say around 3.30pm on Tuesday officers tried to stop a Toyota Lexus at Charlestown and then chased the vehicle to Jesmond with dozens of police vehicles and the Polair helicopter involved in the pursuit.

The car was abandoned at the Jesmond Shopping Centre, with two people in the car running off.

Despite an intensive search, the pair could not be found, with police concluding the operation at about 8.00pm and the Lexus seized for forensic examination.

Hunter COVID-19 cases back in the double digits, as state records worst day yet

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Hunter has reached double digit daily COVID cases again with 10 new cases recorded today.

Broken down by suburb the cases are in Salamander Bay (3), Heatherbrae (1), Swansea Heads (1), Whitebridge (1), North Lambton (1), New Lambton (1), Raworth (1) & Armidale (1).

Three of the new cases in Heatherbrae, New Lambton & Armidale were infectious while in the community.

In positive news the person who was in ICU has been removed which means they are believed to be recovering. Across the region there are 85 active cases, 649 close contacts in isolation and five people in hospital. 

Statewide, NSW recorded its worst day yet with 1431 cases and 12 deaths. 

A number of COVID exposure sites have been listed overnight by health authorities including at Whitebridge, Charlestown and Shoal Bay.

Anyone who attended the following venues during the specified dates and times is considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

• Foodworks, Whitebridge
• Friday 27 August between 3:45pm - 3:55pm
• Saturday 28 August between 12:10pm - 12:15pm
• Saturday 28 August between 4:05pm - 4:10pm
• Dan Murphys, Charlestown Square on Sunday 29 August between 11:23am - 11:27am
• Coles, Charlestown Square on Sunday 29 August between 10:25am - 11:25am
• IGA X-Press, Shoal Bay on Saturday 28 August between 10:50am - 11am

UPDATE! COVID-19 positive Sydney tree loppers were door knocking while in the Hunter

BY JARROD MELMETH 

UPDATE:

Public Health Controller Dr David Durrheim has confirmed the tree loppers were door knocking during their time in the area and failed to keep record of their movements.

The workers are from Sau Tree Services in Sydney and were in the Hunter between August 15 - August 31 and have since tested positive to COVID-19.

Hunter New England Health is urging anyone who came into contact with these workers to get tested, isolate and contact the Public Health team on 1300 066 055.

EARLIER:

Health authorities are scrambling to trace the movements of tree loppers who travelled from Sydney to the Hunter for work.

Hunter New England Health says workers from the Sau Tree Services in Sydney worked in the Hunter between August 15 - August 31 and have since tested positive to COVID-19.

Anyone who used the business for their services between the dates above is being urged to get tested, isolate and contact the Public Health Unit.

An exposure site has also been listed at Charlestown Medical and Dental Centre which was visited by the workers on August 23 from 9am - 10am. Close contacts for the site have been contacted. Anyone who hasn't been contacted and was at the centre between those times is a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

Pictured: Charlestown Medical & Dental Centre
Image: Google Maps

New COVID alerts for the Hunter

BY JARROD MELMETH

Hunter New England Health has released a number of new COVID-19 exposure sites in the Hunter.

Anyone who attended the following venues on the specified dates and times are considered close contacts and are urged to get tested and isolate for 14 days, or await further advice from NSW Health:

• HealthSure Medical Centre, Jesmond on 2 August from 3.20pm to 3.55pm
• Jump N Swim Academy, Thornton on Wednesday 4 August from 5pm to 5.30pm
• Apple Store, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.10pm to 3.50pm
• Boost Juice, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.52pm to 3.56pm
• Cotton On, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.57pm to 3.58pm
• Jay Jays, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.58pm to 4.13pm, and 4.54pm to 4.59pm
• Priceline Pharmacy, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 4.20pm to 4.25pm
• Glassons, Charlestown Square on 29 July from  4.26pm to 4.41pm
• Supre, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 4.43pm to 4.53pm
• Factorie, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 5.02pm to 5.08pm
• Charlestown Square Food Court (Guzman y Gomez and McDonalds) on 29 July from 5.09pm to 5.44pm
• Ground Level Newsagency, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.16pm to 3.22pm, and 4.18pm to 4 .24pm
• Pearl Nails, Charlestown Square on 29 July from 3.23pm to 4.18pm
• Jump N Swim Academy, Thornton on Wednesday 4 August 2021 from 4.30pm to 5pm

Anyone who attended the following venues on the specified dates and times are casual contacts and are urged to get tested and isolate until a negative test result is received.

• Charlestown Square at all on 29 July from 3pm to 6pm

The Auchmuty Library at the University of Newcastle is no longer a venue of concern, nor was it attended by a confirmed case.

HealthSure Medical Centre Medical Centre

Police On The Hunt For Road Rage Driver

BY JARROD MELMETH

Police are appealing for dashcam footage following a road rage incident in Kotara South. 

Its alleged an incident occurred between a white Skoda sedan and a white Volkswagen hatch on Myall Road about 9:30am on Wednesday 26 May. 

Following the incident the two cars came to a stop on Charlestown Road when the 59-year-old male driver of the sedan approached the hatch.

Police have been told the driver of the hatch then reversed hitting the driver, knocking him to the ground.

The hatch then drove away from the scene at speed southbound along Charlestown Road.

The injured man was assisted by bystanders and assessed by NSW Ambulance before being taken to the John Hunter Hospital where he was treated for fractured ribs and bruising.

Anyone with dashcam footage from either Myall Road or Charlestown Road between 9:15 and 9:45am or may have witness the incident is being urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. 

Photo: Jarrod Melmeth

Two Officers Assaulted in Charlestown by Former Probationary Constable

 BY ISABEL EVERETT

Two Senior Constables have allegedly been assaulted by a former Probationary Constable at Charlestown.

The officers were called to the Panorama hotel at around 11.40pm on Monday night, following reports of a 35-year-old man acting aggressively, appearing to be under the influence of drugs.

They attempted to detain the man with capsicum spray and a taser, but were unsuccessful.

The man allegedly began to walk towards the Hoyts Cinema carpark and the Mattara Hotel, before officers again tried to arrest him.

Further police arrived and the man was detained after threatening to stab officers with a syringe. 

Two officers needed stitches for facial cuts sustained during the incident, and one of them sustained a significant elbow injury.

He was handcuffed following the violent struggle, and was taken John Hunter Hospital for treatment, before being transferred to Belmont Police Station.

The suspect was charged with a range of offences including armed with intent to cause am indictable offence, and two counts of assaulting police causing actual bodily harm.

He faced court on Tuesday where he was refused bail to re-appear in court today (Wednesday 23 September, 2020).

Man Arrested for High Range Drink Driving in Charlestown Allegedly Unable to Stand or Walk

BY ISABEL EVERETT

A 57-year-old man has been charged with high range drink driving in Charlestown on Sunday,  following calls from concerned residents about a man being slumped over the wheel driving on Jergi Close. 

At around 6pm police responded to the calls, with the man allegedly that affected by alcohol he was unable to stand and walk from his vehicle. 

He was taken to Charlestown police station and arrested for high range drink driving, giving a breath analysis reading of 0.229. 

He was arrested with Drive High Range PCA and his licence was immediately suspended.

Elderly Man Rushed to JHH After Collision With Car

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

An elderly man has been taken to hospital after being hit by a car at Charlestown.

Shortly after 11 o'clock Thursday morning, emergency crews were called to the Frederick Street carpark at Charlestown Square to find three people had been injured in a collision involving four vehicles and a pedestrian.

NSW Ambulance reports the man, aged in his 80s, has been taken to the John Hunter Hospital with lower leg fractures.

Two other patients were treated at the scene by paramedics, one for a chest injury and a dislocated left shoulder while the third patient suffered a head injury.

A crime scene has been established.

Police investigating fraud and stealing offences in Lake Macquarie

BY JARROD MELMETH

Police are appealing for assistance following a series of stealing and fraud offences in the Hunter.

Between June and July, police say an organised group have targeted retail and fast food outlets in Charlestown, Swansea, Morisett and Wyee, becoming argumentative with employees to confuse and trick them out of cash.

A silver Holden Commodore bearing Victorian license plates has been seen in the vicinity at the time the offences have been committed and is currently of interest to police.

Anyone with information is urged to come forward.

Lake Macquarie Council's record $280 million spend

BY JARROD MELMETH

A record $280 million will be spent next financial year under a 2018/19 Operational Plan, Lake Macquarie Council has decided.

Roads and recreational facilities will benefit most from the strategy, which will see $31 million spent on road works and $4 million funnelled into parks and playgrounds.

Construction of Belmont Baths; Charlestown Skate Park; Pelican Boat Ramp and the completion of the Pasterfield Sports Complex at Cameron Park will all be achieved with a $100 million commitment.

Mayor Kay Fraser said the size of the budget reflects growth in the region, with 205,000 people now living in the LGA.

"We've had a large number of development applications in the city, " Mayor Fraser said, "we can see building works going everywhere...so with the developer contributions (our Section 94 money coming in) and Council contributing to that, it's giving us the capacity to deliver these important projects."

Kay Fraser believes the community will be pleased with the spending, given extensive consultation has been carried out.

"A budget was put out on public exhibition for people to have a look at and comment on it - so it's very much a community budget plan," she said. 

Charlestown Skate Park is one of the projects identified in the Operational Plan. 

House with No Steps Charlestown receives welcome funding

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

It's been announced Charlestown's House with No Steps facility will receive $43, 300 in funding from the state government.

The Youth Opportunities grant aims to remove barriers which prevent young people with disabilities from fully participating in the community.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald says the money will be used to provide invaluable training.

"What [House with No Steps] is going to do is work with a couple of football clubs in the area, and the youth will be getting skills such as their RSA, Working with the Public, First Aid- those sorts of things," Mr MacDonald said.

"It's the first step to getting full-time employment."

Scot MacDonald says over $9 million has been invested in 177 youth projects across NSW since 2012.

Executive Director of Support Services at House with No Steps, Rob Watkins said it's the first year the organisation has received this funding, and they're very grateful for it.

"We exist to help people with disabilities live a great life," Mr Watkins said, "This project is all about ensuring people with a disability gain the skills and experience they need to get them job-ready."

More Buses for Wallsend under Revamped Timetable

BY JESSICA ROUSE

From January next year, there will be double the number of bus services operating out of Wallsend.

Keolis Downer has announced a more frequent route will operate between Wallsend and the city with better connections to Broadmeadow Station and Merewether Beach.

"We've certainly sought to maintain the geographic coverage and we have a number of frequent services with an extension attached to them so, for example, the frequent service that goes to Wallsend every 15 minutes throughout the day, every second service will go on to Maryland," said Keolis Downer CEO Campbell Mason.

In addition, the frequent service that goes to Charlestown every 15 minutes, every second one will go down to Belmont.

The core route will operate until midnight on weeknights and night owl services will run every hour on Friday and Saturday nights until 3am.

The new timetables come into effect on January 14, 2018.

Bus route map: http://newcastletransport.info/uploads/files/NT-NetworkMap-20171130a.pdf

Rethinking Parking Strategies

BY MATT JOHNSTON

Following complaints from disgruntled locals, Lake Macquarie council are looking at updating their parking strategies to cope with increasing congestion. Increasingly, commuters and shoppers are finding it harder and harder to find adequate parking in the town centres.

Mayor Kay Fraser says due to the popularity of town centres like Charlestown, Warners Bay, Toronto or Glendale "you'll find it can be difficult to get a park at times. We've had complaints from residents that many streets in Charlestown are being parked out".

"We need to have a strategy in place for how we're going to deal with parking. In Lake Macquarie, we do love our cars... so it's sort of changing the mentality but it's also providing options."

More than 1400 comments have been received so far, which has given council plenty of alternatives to explore. While paid parking is the last thing anyone wants, it's nevertheless an option that's being considered.

Other measures up for consideration include timed parking, more rangers, 'smart technology' to make things easier for drivers and rangers, as well as lobbying the state government for improved public transport systems.

"We don't have great transport out here, and that's one of the factors," says Cr Fraser. "I'll be lobbying state government to see what we can do about that. We need to have proper public transport so people do have that option."

While there's a need for "efficient and effective" public transport, one of the simpler options is also one of the easiest. "We want to make our town centres walkable and liveable, so people can enjoy their walk to the shops or to their favourite café or restaurant."

The draft strategy is currently available online, at Lake Macquarie libraries, and at council's customer service centre.

Mayor Kay Fraser

Police on the Hunt for Hooded Thief in Charlestown

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are on the hunt for a man who threatened a group of people in Charlestown over the weekend.

At about 12:40am on Saturday night a man armed with a knife allegedly threatened a woman and five men on a sporting oval on the Pacific Highway and stole three wallets.

He's being described as in his 20s, about 168cm tall and wearing a grey hooded jumper and a grey or navy balaclava. He was last seen heading towards a club on Lincoln Street.

No one was injured during the incident.

An investigation is underway- anyone with any information is urged to come forward.

Police Investigating How Details Of A Private Party At Charlestown Were Posted Online

BY IAN CROUCH

A teenage girl has received 5 stitches to the back of her head after a house party at Charlestown.

Police say a group of gatecrashers starting throwing sticks, bottles and a house brick after being refused entry to the party in Roslyn Avenue on Saturday night.

An 18-year-old girl was struck in the head with a brick.

Police are now investigating how the details of the private party came to be were posted online.

The incident occurred despite the family registering the party, informing neighbours and hiring security. 

The Injured Girl's Mother Speaks To Reporters Picture: theherald.com.au

Price of Petrol set to drop in Newcastle

By JAMES WARD

Petrol prices are set to drop below a $1 dollar per litre in coming weeks across Newcastle according to the NRMA

Service stations around Newcastle could be seen selling e10 petrol for around 101 cents per litre on Wednesday but prices are set to drop even further due to a decrease in crude oil prices and a rise in the Australian dollar.

NRMA chairman, Kyle Loades, says motorists can be the beneficiaries of cheaper fuel in the coming weeks due to a number of factors.

"Petrol pricing over the last week has dropped by about 15 cents per litre on the back of international crude oil pricing coming down and the Aussie dollar rising meaning the pump price has reduced which is great news for motorists," Loades stated.

If the prices were to drop lower than a dollar per litre it would be the first time since early 2016.

NRMA also predict the more competition of service stations in an area, odds are that you will find cheaper fuel.

"Good examples are Charlestown and Islington where there are two or three service stations, other areas where there are also two or three is where you should shop if you simply go to one location which is isolated odds are it will be more expensive."

The price of fuel will go lower than the dollar value but won't go much lower than that so motorists should take advantage of the lower prices now.

Photo courtesy Equal Access Pty Ltd

Demountables on the rise in Charlestown

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison is calling on the Berejiklian Government to address the increasing number of demountables in her electorate.

The number of demountable classrooms has risen to 48 according to figures obtained by the state opposition under the Freedom of Information laws.

Jodie Harrison says the growing population of Charlestown isn't stopping anytime soon, and the government need to recognise this and work towards installing more permanent learning spaces.

"We know that there are more houses in the area, we know that there are people moving into the area and we also know that the government should be providing classrooms for our kid's education and they need to be permanent classrooms because we know that this is going to be an ongoing population increase."

The demountables are taking up, and taking away, valuable playground space from schools, with Warners Bay High School at the top of the list with the most demountables in Charlestown.

The MP says the reliance on these demountable classrooms needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.

"I would certainly hope the Minister for Education and the Premier have been looking at population growth in the area and making sure they're providing infrastructure to deal with that population increase. Our kids deserve a quality education and quality spaces."

Push for the Charlestown to the Dudley Coast Cycle-way

BY DANIELLE RIES

Cycling advocacy group Cycle Safe Network are pushing for a path to be built between Charlestown and the Dudley Coast.

The group is working with the Lake Macquarie Council to build the five-kilometre path so cyclists and pedestrians can avoid busy roads and intersections such as Dudley Road.

The path could be included in the Newcastle cycle plan as the path would occupy an old rail corridor in Dudley as well as bisecting the Fernleigh Track.

An active member of the group Deborah Moore says the pathway will link the community to certain places safely.

"Charlestown to Coast is linking key destinations. It's close to schools so kids making their way to school on bikes or through walking on a designated path.

"It offers an opportunity to go through a safe corridor for commuters or for recreational pedestrians or cyclists".

She also explains the new path can open up multiple opportunities to get to places and is a better option for residents to use.

"There's also a great connection to the Fernleigh track. If you can get onto the Charlestown to Coast track, then you've got a short distance to the Fernleigh track where you can either head down to Belmont or you can make your way into Newcastle City".

"We are working really well with the Lake Macquarie city council, they are very supportive of the concept and what we're pushing for.

"We feel the cycleway network proposed for the Charlestown to Dudley link is a much safer one, it is closer to all the schools. So it is potentially a much better corridor".

Cyclists on the Fernleigh track.
Credit- Newcastle Cycleways Movement

Charlestown home invasion

BY IAN CROUCH

Police are still on the hunt for two men after a violent home invasion in Charlestown over the weekend.

Just before 5am yesterday, the two men attacked a 28-year-old man outside his home on Hillsborough Road, leaving him with wounds to his left arm and chest.

He's now recovering in the John Hunter Hospital.

Police say the attackers were dressed in dark clothing and armed with an edged weapon.

Calls to fix Hillsborough Road

BY ARIANA GATTI and JESSICA ROUSE

Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison is again calling on the state government to address the ongoing dangerous traffic conditions along Hillsborough Road.

The Hillsborough suburb has two streets to enter or exit which both lead onto congested Hillsborough Road making it increasingly difficult for residents to find a safe gap in traffic to get onto Hillsborough road.

Jodie Harrison presented a motion in state parliament describing these issues residents are facing, saying it's causing an immense amount of stress to residents.

She says it is sometimes taking residents up to 20 minutes just to get out of Hillsborough onto the road and it's resulting in dangerous driving practices.

"It doesn't just affect the people that are coming out of Hillsborough the suburb, but it affects people who are using Hillsborough road and that could be people right across the Hunter."

"I've been calling for the release of the Hillsborough road traffic study which was funded by the government back in 2014. There is also a Hillsborough Road/Charlestown road traffic corridor study that's being developed now."

Since the end of 2014, Jodie Harrison has been pushing the government to do something and she says "the government should be pushing for those traffic studies to be released" and it is about time they did so funding can be allocated to the road to fix the problem.

"I really think it's time that the traffic studies are released and the government finally commit to funding the capital works that are actually recommended in those traffic studies."