Unlawful drainage works threatening town water supply

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE & JARROD MELMETH

Controversial property developer, Phillip Lee is coming under fire from Port Stephens MP Kate Washington and MidCoast Council for alleged unauthorised drainage works at a 2400-hectare property in Tea Gardens, which has the potential to impact the towns water supply.

Fairfax reports that MidCoast council are aware of the works and the potential impacts on the drinking water aquifer, as the potential for prawn and oyster farming to come under threat.

Phillip Lees' company LDF Enterprise own the $22 million property on Viney Creek Road where the works have taken place.

Ms Washington said the property developer is a frequent environmental offender.

"Mr Lee, through his companies, now owns over 3000-hectares of land around Tea Gardens. What we have seen on another site is a proposal for a very large scale development that is currently under Land and Environment Court orders from what we have seen happen on that site already. Significant fines have been imposed but, they have meant nothing to Mr Lee and his company. This man owns a $40 million Point Piper mansion. The fines mean nothing and the response from the agencies needs to be fast and it needs to be fierce and so far we have seen very little," Ms Washington said.

Ms Washington said she will be raising the issue in Parliament on Tuesday.

"Out of sheer frustration, I will be raising this issue in Parliament. I sought a briefing from the Minister for the Environment in January and yet, I got no reasonable response. The agencies knew about this in December and yet an EPA representative set foot on-site just last week," Ms Washington said.

Aerial photo of the drainage works on Mr Lees' property in Tea Gardens.
Image: Domain.

Williamtown PFAS Contamination Drop-In Sessions

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Residents living in and around the Williamtown contaimination red zone have the opportunity to go along to information sessions tonight and tomorrow to hear from the Department of Defence.

The information sessions will focus on the findings of the 2017 Environmental Site Assessment and the 2017 Off-Site Human Health Risk Assessment.

The latest report found the maitenance zone, or red zone, now extends to include another 250 properties.

The details for the events are:

Community information presentation: Tuesday 5 December 2017
                                                              at the Murrook Cultural Centre, 2163 Nelson Bay Road,
                                                              Williamtown, 5:30pm - 7:00pm

Community walk-in sessions: Wednesday 6 December 2017
                                                  at the Murrook Cultural Centre, 2163 Nelson Bay Road,
                                                 Williamtown,
                                                 Morning session: 9:00am - 12:00pm
                                                 Afternoon session: 2:00pm - 6:00pm

At the walk-in sessions local residents and businesses will be able to ask questions, one-on-one with Defence and other government department agencies on the report findings.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said the information sessions will be quite saddening for many of the residents.

"It's going to be tough news for residents because I think it is going to really be speaking to the potential poor health outcomes that flowed from this contamination. Whilst it won't specifically be about health, it will be about how the contaminants travels to humans."

There are more sessionss planned in the near future, but Kate Washington fears they may not deliver what the community wants.

"We're hearing from defence today that the community meetings coming up are about the conclusion of their assessment of the human health. Now for me that's a little bit concerning. It suggest that there may not be any future testing done, it suggests that this might be the end of the road for Defence's purposes in terms of determinin goutcomes for humans."

Morale very low among Newcastle's bus drivers

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Transport operator Keolis Downer has only been operating in Newcastle for six weeks and already they're being blamed for mistreating and underpaying their workers.

Morale is reportedly very, very low among Newcastle's bus drivers as they deal with the frustration of allegedly being given incorrect wages, shift penalties and superannuation payments which has left them out of pocket for over a month.

Shadow Minister for the Hunter Kate Washington says the company is also blaming bus drivers for services being cancelled when in most situations it has been the company's fault alone.

"Six weeks in and we've seen 170 services cancelled and those cancellations have been blamed on the drivers. Drivers who aren't being paid for the hours they're working and that's just not on,"

Image showbus.com

"I've heard from at least three different drivers but I understand it is across the workforce and there are systemic problems in the system that Keolis Downer is trying to implement. Morale is very, very low amongst all the drivers, they don't feel like they're being given respect," said Kate Washington.

In a statement, Keolis Downer say there have been no cuts to services across Newcastle's public transport but they have had a lot of drivers unable to work due to the terrible flu season.

They say they are in the process of recruiting more drivers to make up for those unable to work and even though it's inconvenient for customers, they'd rather them be healthy and safe and not catch the flu from sick drivers.

Already they've welcomed eight new drivers to their Newcastle fleet in the past week.

But Kate Washington wants answers to the claims of mistreatment and she's written to the Transport Minister demanding support.

"It just feels like Newcastle has been the guinea pigs in all of this. And the government now needs to revise and review its plans to further privatise public transport elsewhere, there are plans afoot for Sydney and that needs to stop now."

Shocking $1.2 Million Power Bill

BY MATT JOHNSTON

Tomago steel processing plant Milltech is being hit hard by rising power prices. An increase of 160% in electricity costs will see their energy bill rise an extra $1.2 million over the next three years.

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington said that it's not just homes, but businesses feeling the pinch of increased electricity bills.

Since most Hunter industries heavily rely on electricity, Washington says the costs are mounting.
"It was really stark to see and understand the high energy use of our manufacturers and the impact of increased prices like this."

"This is hitting businesses really hard, and particularly our heavy manufacturing industries here in the Hunter are really going to feel the brunt of this."

The cost of energy isn't the only thing putting pressure on local businesses. International competition with lower production costs means local businesses often have to absorb price hikes rather than pass them on to the consumer.

 "They can’t put their prices up and keep absorbing increased energy costs, increased input costs, and their competitors are largely from overseas. Their business model is at risk.”

"My biggest fear is the flow-on impact of this on jobs for the Hunter. We can’t afford to go backwards in terms of our employment figures.”

Image http://milltechmartinbright.com/

Horror weekend for Port Stephen's koalas

BY DECLAN PAYNE and JESSICA ROUSE

Port Stephen's koala population have had a horror weekend with at least five hit by cars.

Sadly one koala has died, and another is reported to have a fractured leg.

The warmer weather is said to be to blame for the increasing number of koalas on the move and being put in harms way.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington believes the government could be doing a lot more to stop this devastation to the species.

"What it could be doing and should have done last year is not sell the Mambo Wetlands which is core koala habitat. The other thing the government could be doing is helping support a great initiative which is the development of a koala hospital here in Port Stephens."

She said it's also the responsibility of the community to be more aware on the road.

"We must all take some responsibility and keep a good eye out because our koalas in Port Stephens are under threat. They're under threat from over-development and we must all stay very alert of that fact."

Outrage over Telegraph Point Preschool closure

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI and JESSICA ROUSE

Parents at the Telegraph Point Children's Centre are outraged government ministers haven't stepped in to stop the closure of their preschool.

When questioned in parliament this week, the Minister for Early Education said due to contractual and compliance issues the current provider simply wasn't able to continue operating it.

Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education, Kate Washington says it's ridiculous the government couldn't step in.

"The Department and the Minister keeps pointing to commercial complexities but this is a government that can enter into contracts to build...a light rail down George Street but they can't navigate a solution to keep a small childcare service open. It just beggars belief," she said.

According to Kate Washington, it's an outrage the government didn't take action and stop the small preschool from closing, especially when alternative arrangement plans were offered to them.

"The operator and the community have put lots of alternative options to the Minister and the Department to keep the doors open but then they have all been rejected and the Department has instead only told the families that they need to find services elsewhere."

She says because of the Department's inaction, local families and their children are put at a disadvantage.

"[The school] provides vocation care, outside of hours care, pre-schooling and childcare to that small community and surrounding areas.

"Children will now miss out on the all-important transition to the local school. Families will struggle to juggle their work and family commitments. It's a sad day for Telegraph Point."

Kate Washington [Image: North Arm Cove]

NSW Government accused of misleading Dungog Councillors

BY JARROD MELMETH

Ahead of the second Dungog merger meeting tonight, the New South Wales Government have been accused of misleading Councillors about the availability of funding should a voluntary merger with Port Stephens be agreed.

The Deputy Premier has reportedly told Dungog Councillors that he will advocate within Cabinet for the funding.

However, a written answer to the Shadow Minister for Local Government has advised that the funding is not available to councils that did not merge as part of the "Fit for the Future" process, and that the allocated funding has now been returned to Treasury.

Shadow Minister for the Hunter Kate Washington said Councillors are being made to make a decision void of information.

"The State Government has not provided information that they need in order to make a responsible decision and I do not see the rush in getting this through tonight.

"I do not envy the position that the Dungog Councillors have been placed in. They have been starved of resources by the State Government. It has left them vulnerable to predators and they are now in a situation where they are trying to determine what is really in the best interest of their community," Ms Washington said.

Ms Washington also alluded to the fact that if Dungog and Port Stephens did merge, $15 million in State Government funding would not put a dent in Dungogs' $40 million infrastructure backlog.

Dungog Councillors recently voted against merging with Port Stephens in a 5-4 vote. However, the issue will come back to Council on tonight after the resignation of the Deputy Mayor Tony Mackenzie.

The resignation of Mr McKenzie who voted against the motion to merge, leaves open the possibility of a 4-4 vote at tonight's meeting, which in the event of a tied vote amongst councillors, the ruling will be given to Mayor Harold Johnson who initially supported the motion.

Source: Dungog Chronicle.

MP's stand united for the Glendale Interchange

BY JESSICA ROUSE

There was an outcry amongst the Hunter's State MP's this week after the Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange missed out on getting funding from the Federal government in the 2017-18 budget.

Also known as the Glendale Interchange, the project would see a transport route open between Cardiff and Glendale considerably aid in traffic congestion and make the trip faster - something locals see as quintessential to the area.

All Hunter Labor MP's and Independent Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper stand united in their fight for funding with the exception of Upper Hunter Nationals MP Michael Johnsen who declined to add his name to the joint letter from members.

The letter addressed to Premier Gladys Berejiklian highlighted the regional importance of the project.

The next stage of funding would involve the construction of the Pennant Street Bridge and the state government is being encouraged to commit $13 million in funding for the stage in the hope it would be matched by the Federal Government.

"We are on a united front seeking the state government to support this critical piece of infrastructure for the Hunter. We've got PropertyCouncil,, Business Chamber, Hunter councils and all Hunter Labor MP's plus Independent MP Greg Piper from Lake Macquarie, " said Shadow Minister for the Hunter Kate Washington.

"It's a really unusual situation where there is a united front on the ground from across the Hunter for the project and state and federal government just continue to ignore the voices of the locals."

Hunter schools at the tipping point

BY JESSICA ROUSE

High Schools in the Hunter are at their tipping point - overflowing and over capacity by 41 per cent.

The latest NSW Auditor General's report has revealed high schools in the Hunter top the list for being the state's most overcrowded, and also shows the region at the top of the list of regions expected to have the highest growth of students after the Metropolitan areas of Sydney.

With student growth only expected to increase, the Department of Education estimates just over 3,500 additional high school classrooms will be needed across NSW by 2031.

In the Hunter alone, the number of students is expected to grow to 4,350.

A number of schools including Rutherford High and Belmont Highschool are relying on demountable classrooms to accommodate the growing populations.

Shadow Minister for the Hunter Kate Washington believes the government clearly has their priories wrong, and they can't seem to get them right.

"The government has entirely failed to plan for the future. It's apparent now and it's just going to get worse as we go forward and the population of students will increase, so while the Premier spent billions of dollars on stadiums and roads in Sydney, she's allowing our students to learn in over crowded classrooms."

Primary schools aren't much better, with most over capacity by 35 per cent, with the number of primary students expected to increase in the Hunter by nearly 6,000 between now and 2031.

Kate Washington says the schools have been neglected and starved of funds with students the ones suffering the most having to learn in overcrowded classes.

"I don't hold high hopes given what we've already learnt about the federal government's intention's around education funding - they should be fully funding the Gonski reforms and that's not happening and that's going to put additional stresses on our schools."

Swan Bay's dangerous roads

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington is backing residents frustration with the lack of attention from local council to fix unsafe roads in the area.

There are a number of unsealed roads throughout Port Stephens and particularly in Swan Bay, where Swan Bay Road is a major concern.

Residents are calling on Mayor Bruce Mackenzie to focus on fixing the backlog of roads in his council area, rather than championing a merger with Dungog promising $40 million to fix their backlog of damaged roads and bridges if a merger goes ahead.

Kate Washington has raised community concerns about unsealed roads in the past in Dunns Creek and Karuah, and has been told the roads weren't even on Council's 10 year forward work plans.

Swan bay residents have started a petition calling on council to do something about Swan Bay Road because it is particularly dangerous.

"I met with residents yesterday and they talked to me about the number of accidents they've seen and the people that they've picked out of the ditches and cars that have flipped on the side of the road, particularly on Swan Bay Road and the condition of the road is appalling," Kate Washington said.

Roads which remain unsealed in Port Stephens include:
- Swan Bay Rd, Swan Bay
- Dunns Creek Rd, Duns Creek
- Holdom Rd, Karuah
- Wighton St, Seaham
- Six Mile Creek Rd, Eagleton
- Clarence St, Wallalong

Diesel Spill in Raymond Terrace harms park

BY TYLER FARDELL

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington has expressed her disappointment in Port Stephens council for their handling of a diesel leak, which has impacted the Hunter River and Boomerang Park in Raymond Terrace.

In mid-December, a diesel slick was spotted in the Hunter River at Raymond Terrace.

The leak was then traced to the Raymond Terrace council depot where the diesel had drained into Boomerang park.

The EPA then issued a clean-up order to council but a second incident at the Depot worsened the situation.

Council has since fenced off a section of Boomerang Park, two weeks after the spill was spotted.

"There are stringent regulations around the storage of diesel. It's clear that there has been a failure of systems."

However Port Stephens Council group manager for facilities and services Greg Kable has defended the decision to fence off the park, saying it was just a precaution.

He also added the situation is under control and everything should be back to normal within a fortnight.

Boomerang park
Source; Port Stephens Examiner

Bushfire Update Tues 1:30pm 8th Nov

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Lone Pine Fire at Port Stephens continues to burn, with flames having already ripped through just over 9000 hectares of land.

Work is continuing to contain the blaze, with fire fighters watching for changing conditions as a southerly change is expected to move through this afternoon.

There is the potential for increased fire activity on the western side of Karuah and to the west of Swan Bay Road, with residents urged to follow instructions from fire fighters in the area.

Residents in the area of Karuah, Limeburners Creek, Medowie, Nine Mile Creek and Swan Bay should continue to stay alert.

Member for Port Stephens Kate Washington says getting the right information, from the right sources, is vital.

"Heed the advice of the fire fighters and police on the ground and always look at the official sources for advice - you've got to be very careful about where we are looking and where we are taking advice from and it's so important that we're going to the official sources for all advice."

The Fire and Rescue NSW and the NSW Rural Fire Service websites and social media are the most reliable sources, as well as police, rescue and fire services on the ground.

Check www.livetraffic.com for updates on road closures.

State Labor Calls For More Funding For Bucketts Way

BY IAN CROUCH

The state opposition is accusing the Baird government of ignoring the Bucketts Way in the latest round of Fixing Country Roads funding.

The Bucketts Way stretches from 12 Mile Creek at Port Stephens through Gloucester to Taree and is an important arterial road for freight transport and tourism.

However, it's also notoriously dangerous and regarded by the NRMA has one of the worst roads in the state.

Already this year, the road has claimed 3 lives - 23-year-old Matthew Ratley from Cameron Park died on May 21 when his Holden Commodore hit a tree at Gloucester. 25-year-old Bryce Parry of Merewether was killed on June 19 when his car crashed off the road near Stroud. Just four days later, 53-year-old Frederick Turner of Killaware died when his utility hit a power pole at Gloucester.

Shadow Hunter Minister, Kate Washington is supporting calls from the Gloucester community to install 3 passing lanes on the Bucketts Way at a cost of just over $6 million - 2 at Limeburners Creek and 1 at Weismantels to improve safety.

She says the projects are shovel ready and both Mid Coast and Port Stephens Councils have offered a cash and in-kind component to the work.

"Both (councils) see the Bucketts Way upgrade as its priority and it's not being reflected in the state government or federal government for that matter as well. We don;t care where the money comes from, we just need to see the road upgraded so it improves safety for all users," she said.

However, federal member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie says the Turnbull government is already spending millions to upgrade the Bucketts Way on top of funding provided from the Roads to Recovery and Black Spot programs.

"I've got $17 million extra that was not out of any program. It's just sheer political will and campaigning over two elections to get that delivered onto the Bucketts Way and I'll continue to fight for any funds that I can secure in any shape or form," he said.

Port Stephens Mp, Kate Washington

Federal Lyne Mp, Dr David Gillespie