Calls for NSW Parliament to return after almost three months off

BY JARROD MELMETH

The state opposition and the cross bench are pushing for a return to parliament accusing the government of trying to avoid scrutiny. 

On Monday it was revealed the return of sitting in the Upper House has been delayed until next week to give health officials times to review the COVID safety plan. 

The President of the Legislative Council Matthew Mason Cox wanted the chamber to sit but the government decided Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries would not take part, triggering the sitting to be cancelled.

The Legislative Assembly has not sat since June 24 after Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall tested positive for COVID-19 which sent parliament house into lockdown.

Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper says of all the industries which are considered essential, parliament should be one of them.

"We know that there are lot of people out there doing jobs because they work in job that are considered to be essential. That includes in transport, logistics, retail, supermarkets, our health providers and in our hospitals. Their still out there doing it but, parliament is not essential?

"I certainly believe that the parliament isn't something that should be an optional thing, a good thing to have when times are good. It's actually essential when times are tough as well because we can't just set aside the responsibilities of the parliament and representative democracy and, just say we're going to leave it to the executive government," Mr Piper said.

There are some concerns around the passage of important Bills, including the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill which was due to be introduced into the Parliament in August.

Mr Piper is in favour of Voluntary Assisted Dying and has been a staunch supporter of the Bill and says its frustrating for people who will continue to suffer at the hands of terminal illnesses because the parliament is not sitting.

"We had certainly hoped that we would be having the Bill introduced and debated in October and hopefully we could have had this matter completed before the end of the year.

"It cannot just be pushed back year after year. It won't go away. People are demanding that the NSW Parliament moves into the modern times, just as so many people are doing now in other jurisdictions," Mr Piper said.   

Pictured: The NSW Legislative Assembly

Hunter School Cleaners Fear For Their Jobs

BY ANNABEL ROBINSON

School cleaners are now in fear of losing their jobs.

The NSW Government is suggesting they will have to reapply for their jobs at the end of every contract as of next year. This will result in their accrued sick leave, recreational leave and long service leave becoming obsolete.

Cleaners current employment guarantees and conditions have been in place since 1994 and many cleaners fear that finding another job will be difficult as new contractors may not want to employ older people.

State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery, will move a Notice of Motion today calling the NSW Government to provide cleaners with better job security.

School cleaners are valued in the community as they have provided us with their service for decades keeping our school environments clean and safe.

"There will be an increasing loss of jobs because the providers will employ less people and expect others to work longer and as a result our schools won't be clean," Sonia said.

Sonia says the only thing fueling the Government's actions is to save money on wages and this is truly unfair and she will be urging the Premier to take steps in protecting our cleaners jobs and conditions.

Independents slam Labor's Special Rate Rise plan for Maitland

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Independent Mayoral candidate for Maitland Philip Penfold has slammed Labor's plan to drop the Special Rate Variation if she's elected into the top job.

Mayoral candidate Loretta Baker has promised to put forward a proposal which will see household rates drop by around $100 a year, but there are fears that could lead to job cuts and a huge loss in funding accumulating to around $10 million dollars over the next council term.


Philip Penfold said it's easy to come and say it now to get some community support, but in the end the plan simply isn't going to work.

"It's very easy to come out and make political statements about rate cuts but show us your calculations, show us who is going to lose their job, show us which roads are not going to be repaired so you can justify why you have a reversal of your decision you moved two months ago."

The decision the mayoral candidate has reportedly flipped on was moved two months ago as the adoption of the Statement of Rating Structure which was stated as:

Council adopt the Statement of Rating Structure, as identified in the Operational Plan 2017/18 (which includes a general rate increase of 7.25%);

Philip Penfold believes if Loretta Baker's plan goes through there will have to be job cuts and a loss of funds to projects because council won't be able to afford it.

"For a lot of the council's expenses they are state government expenses the cost of the street, the cost of the waste levy the Labor party introduced. So it's expensive for council and its expensive for the community and it's important for a council to balance out the wishes and needs of the community and what those costs will be," said Philip Penfold.

"All Councillors I'm sure are open to adjustments in rates but any candidate needs to put forward what is their proposed cut then, if you're going to cut the income please explain where this $10 million dollar shortfall is going to come from and how you are going to account for it."

Mayoral Candidate Phillip Penfold and his team Image Philip Penfold Twitter

Interpretation plan to pay respect to 'The Store' past

BY JARROD MELMETH

Revitalising Newcastle say a move by the State Government to demolish 'The Store' building, to make way for a bus and coach terminal as part of the Newcastle Interchange project will pay respect to the history of the site.

Records illustrate the significance of the building which reflects an important aspect of the socio-economical system of the region, once standing as Newcastle's premier shopping destination until the 1960's.

News of the demolition has sparked a range of emotions from the wider community, with some saying developments like these happen way too often where buildings are left to stand bare for so long and then be deemed "structurally unsafe", torn down and, turned into the next revitalization venture.

Plans for the site include an interpretation plan which, according to program director Michael Cassel will aim to capture the essence of the sites former use.

"Interpretation plans really try to reflect the way in which a site was used and why there is such a connection. Historically it has been a place of gathering for the people of Newcastle, so we are trying to reflect that through different things like public art, story boards and information rather than just a plain facade, something that tells you a story so you can understand the importance of the site.

"We have come up with what we think is the best option," Mr Cassel said.

The decision has also been supported by the Hunter Business Chamber with Chamber President Jonathan Vandervoort applauding the next step being taken in the revitalisation of Newcastle.

"Back in 2015, the Chamber celebrated the State Government's acquisition of The Store building as a positive step forward to deliver an opportunity to add to the amenity of the current interchange design and provide a range of useful opportunities.

"Although The Store has been an important part of Newcastle West for many years, the Chamber notes the buildings are in poor condition and are a possible safety hazard in their current state," Mr

The Store as it stands today.

Newcastle Interchange under construction
at the rear of  'The Store'.

Transport Worker's Union want investigation into number of fatal crashes

BY JAMES WARD

The Transport Worker's Union(TWU) is calling for an investigation into the number of fatal truck crashes on NSW roads.

Six people were killed in the last 24 hours in truck related crashes calling for an investigation into the industry.

Two people were killed north of Gloucester this morning which comes after two people were killed near Sutton Forest yesterday evening and another two people were also killed at Bendemeer yesterday.

TWU National Assistant Secretary, Michael Kaine, says these incidents are tragic and says drivers are under far too much pressure to meet demands.

"This is an industry under increasing pressure, it is being squeezed by wealthy retailers and manufacturers that are cutting transport contracts to the bone and the result is drivers are working too fast and too long," Kaine said.

"The Federal Government just abolished a tribunal a year ago, a tribunal that on its own reports said that 28% of truck crashes would be reduced if the tribunal stayed in place, since the tribunal was cut by the federal government there has been a spike in horrific incidents on our roads.

Between January and March this year, deaths from trucks have increased by 7.2% compared to last year according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics.

Also, 40% of all workplace deaths this year have involved transport workers according to Safe Work Australia.

"The government needs to put a body back in place that has the ability to do exactly what the one it tore down could do and that is look at the pressures that are on this industry and lift these pressures, look at the pressure put on the industry by major economic forces that are forcing transport companies to push drivers too hard," Kaine stated.

Source: Truck and Bus News Australia

Calls for a summit to discuss Paramedic safety

BY JAMES WARD

State Member for Wallsend, Ms Sonia Hornery, has urged the Government to hold a summit to discuss the safety or lack of for Paramedics across the state.

Ms Hornery has spoken a number of times in Parliament about the issue dating back to 2013 with the tabling of the Notices of Motions but has again pleaded to the Government after a series of attacks on Paramedics in recent months.

Along with Ms Hornery, The Health Services Union has called for the summit after assaults on Paramedics have risen in the last year.

"There have been increasing levels of injuries to Paramedics so I'm asking the Government again to make sure they pay attention to my concerns about the lack of safety for paramedics and to host the summit," Ms Hornery said.

"Hopefully no more accidents occur before the government acts, the government need to pay more attention to the health and safety of our Paramedics and listen to them."

Paramedics have and will continue to care and attend to community matters but Ms Hornery wants more safety implementations put in place to prevent hard working Paramedics from being assaulted on duty.

"I'll continue to lobby for the Paramedics in the Hunter, they have a very important job and they don't deserve to be assaulted in line with their duty," Ms Hornery stated.

Souce: NSW Ambulance Jobs

Pyne in Williamtown to announce RAAF Base upgrades

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne officially announced nearly $600 million worth of funding for upgrades to the E-7A Wedgetail project this morning at Williamtown RAAF Base.

The Wedgetail is considered one of the most advanced pieces of equipment in the RAAF and is used extensively in the Middle East in the military effort against Islamic State.

The funding for upgrades to the Wedgetail will improve its early warning and control capabilities.

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne says our nation's defence is of top priority and we need to keep improving it to keep up with and get ahead, of our opponents.


"It is the most advanced and sophisticated airborne battle management centre in the world today and provides radar, communications, battlefield intelligence to our fighting forces and of course is serving right now in the middle east in Syria and Iraq,"

"We have to keep improving its capabilities and keep upgrading it and keep working out what our opponents might be trying to find in terms of weaknesses in the system, meeting those and then beating them down the track so this investment, this $600 million will mean jobs here at Williamtown, at Amberley and in Brisbane as a part of our ongoing commitment to doing as much of this increase of our capability here in Australia," said Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne.

Around 45 jobs will be created at Williamtown for the upgrade.

He says the Government is confident they can meet threats into the future, in addition to the upgrades for Wedgetail, a logistics centre for training, operations and skills was also officially opened today as a part of the Williamtown RAAF base upgrades. A joint strike fighter will be housed there by 2018.

The Government sees the RAAF Base as one of the most significant bases in Australia in terms of defence and will continue upgrading it to ensure it is fit for defence well into the future.

Jobs set to be axed from Ausgrid at Wallsend

BY DANIELLE RIES and JESSICA ROUSE

There's more job losses on the cards for Wallsend with 30 jobs set to be axed from Ausgrid.

MP Sonia Hornery has expressed how disappointed she is with workers advised the 30 positions will be moving to Sydney. It comes after the government announced the sale of Ausgrid last year and trumpeted the fact the sale would lead to both better service and cheaper prices.

Whether the government can step in or not, Sonia Hornery believes they should because it is simply unacceptable these jobs are being lost.

"It's a lack of commitment by the state government to create jobs in an area that desperately needs more apprentices, more schools and more jobs. Not only is it a loss of thirty jobs, it's a loss of thirty skills and a loss of thirty persons experience because who knows where these people will have to travel to get jobs."

She is also worried that with thirty skilled workers being kicked out of Wallsend when there's a blackout or an electrical problem there will be no one local to fix it quickly.

"The government shouldn't be allowing Ausgrid to take another thirty jobs away from our community so the government should put a stop to these additional job losses in the Wallsend area. They should put a stop to it and they shouldn't allow it to occur."

It's very important that we continue to live: MacDonald

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In the wake of the second attack to hit Britain in as many weeks, even here in the Hunter we are being told to be aware, particularly if we're travelling.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trading is urging travellers from the Hunter and throughout Australia who are headed to London to keep their travel plans, but listen to any and all advice given to them by officials around the city and avoid the London Bridge.

It comes after three men brought terror to the streets of London when they killed seven people and injured 48 others in a van and knife attack.

It has now been confirmed three Australians were caught up in the horror.

The three men responsible were shot dead by British officers within eight minutes of their attack.

"Many of us have friends or family overseas in places like London. I was talking to people this morning who have sons or daughters who are spending some time over there with work or study or tourism, so we are concerned about it but I think we've got to maintain our way of life, albeit with a fair bit of wariness," said Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald.

There are challenges out there, but he says he's very confident in Australia our police have the intelligence, the networks and the understanding that as Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull and Premier Gladys Berejiklian have said, they can't be everywhere all at the same time and be across every person who comes out of the woodwork.

Scot MacDonald says there's no doubt there are threats and that the threat level is high, but we need to keep on living.

"I think everyone in the community needs to be alert, to think about it, to go about their lives; I think that's very important that we continue to live and work as we should otherwise the people that do want to bring us down win."

The "Big Picture" of learning at Cooks Hill Campus

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In what many would call an unconventional way of learning, there's a high school campus in Newcastle guiding students through their year 12 studies with project-based learning.

Rather than one exam at the end of their schooling year determining what they’re going to get and what pathway they will take, students at the Cooks Hill Campus instead finish high school with a portfolio of their best work from year 9 through to year 12 about their ideal career path.

It’s all a part of Big Picture Learning, and really is all about the big picture.

Cooks Hill Campus is linked to Newcastle High School and classed as a public government school. The Big Picture design is used in 20 campuses throughout Australia and encompasses project based learning combined with a living to learn idea where students go out once a week into the workplace and experience real world learning.

“In a mainstream school you might have a student who has a clear idea – yes I’m in year 10 and I want to become a plumber, and then that student will finish school, go and do a TAFE course and then realise they don’t like it and they’ve wasted their time,” said advisory teacher Brendt Evenden.

There's only 136 students at the campus at any one time and for every 17 students there’s one advisory teacher.

Brendt Evenden is one of the advisors who sees the same 17 students throughout their whole schooling career.

The advisors ensure students meet the outcomes of the high school curriculum through their project and work together with students to work out how they can do it through their chosen projects across multiple subjects.

“Advisers know their students really well with one advisor for 17 students so that’s very different to one teacher for 30 students in a classroom and seeing five different lessons a day (in mainstream schools),” said Brendt.

At a time when students are becoming increasing disengaged from learning, the Cooks Hill Campus aims to re-engage students who can’t connect with the curriculum of mainstream high school.

“Often in mainstream school students don’t get to really follow at a great depth what they’re really passionate about,” said Brendt, and often that’s how they become disengaged.

Once students finish year 12, they can use their portfolio to go onto TAFE, or even move onto university to study a degree based on their work.

Brendt says the campus is getting a lot of interest with students, and they’re currently inviting year 8 students to put forward their interest for enrollment into the 2018 intake of year 9.

“If they’ve (parents) got a child sitting in a classroom in a mainstream school and they’re just not doing what they love or feeling bored or disengaged in some way – we’re not about the students who are mucking up, we’re about the student who really finds education isn’t working for them so we give them the chance to find their passion and get education that way.”

For more information head to www.cookshill-s.schools.nsw.edu.au 

Tourle Street bridge taking shape

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Tourle Street and Cormorant Road duplication at Koorangang is well and truly underway after a major milestone was met with the installation of all bridge piles.

The project was announced in April 2016, with work starting a month later and is being funded by both Federal and State governments aiming to improve traffic flow which often results in bottleneck conditions.

Work is expected to be completed by the second half of 2018 and will feature 3.8 kilometres of road wich will be duplicated between Industrial drive, Mayfield West and Egret Street at Kooragang, providing two lanes in each direction along with a second Tourle Street Bridge.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Catherine Cusack said it's great news for long-suffering motorists.

"For those motorists at the moment who are having to endure all the restrictions that all the road works are placing on the roads.

I want to reassure them that significant progress has been made, and we are really looking forward to this project finishing on budget and on time next year," Ms Cusack said.

Current condition of the project on the Tourle Street Bridge.

Newcastle CBD set for big changes

BY TYLER FARDELL

NEWCASTLE's city centre is set for some big changes following the governments support of an innovation project, aiming to turn NEWCASTLE into a 'digital precinct'.

A total of 9.8 million dollars has been committed by the state government with a further 8 million dollars coming from Newcastle city council, the University of Newcastle, Newcastle Now and Hunter DiGiT.

A new innovation hub is set to be developed, along with free public Wi-Fi, cutting edge smart parking and smart street lighting technology.

Premier Mike Baird visited Newcastle to announce the funding and praised the innovative project.

"The Hunter Innovation Project will provide a significant boost for Newcastle and capitalise on it's strong education and research sectors, the region's highly skilled workforce and diverse range of industries".

Artists impression of the 'Innovation hub' at the corner of King and Auckland streets
Photo source: The Newcastle Herald