Three Charged Over Lake Macquarie Drug Supply

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

Police have charged two men and a woman for their alleged roles in the supply of prohibited drugs across Lake Macquarie.

Following extensive inquiries launched in July this year, Strike Force Birs detectives made three arrests on Thursday morning.

Around 9 o'clock the Police Dog unit assisted officers in searching a home on Park Street at Argenton.

A short time later, a 25-year-old Barnsley man was arrested at a home on Ellesmere Street at Booragul and crime scenes were established at both addresses.

A search of the homes uncovered a slingshot, ammunition and various quantities of drugs, predominantly methamphetamine and GHB, all of which were seized by police.

A 24-year-old Teralba man and a 27-year-old Argenton woman were also arrested during investigations.

Both men have been charged with numerous drug supply offences, while the woman was charged with drug possession and possessing a prohibited weapon.

The Barnsley man has been refused bail to face court today, while his alleged associates will face court on October 16.

Strike Force Birs investigations are ongoing.

Mixed Reviews for Newcastle Bus Network

BY MATT JOHNSTON

The first weekday of Newcastle's new bus network has been met with mixed reactions from commuters.

Despite 1200 extra services on offer and increased frequency on certain routes, some passengers are wary of the changes.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter, Scot MacDonald, remains optimistic people can look past the teething pains to take advantages of the new services on offer.

He says it's the biggest shake-up to Hunter transport in a decade, and innovative features like buses on demand.

"It was really exciting to be on the first bus on Sunday. It's a service that you can now use in suburbs like Dudley, Mount Hutton, Whitebridge, Windale, Warners Bay, Eleebana, Gateshead and Charlestown. It's a great new service."

But the Uber-like Buses On Demand, and services to John Hunter Hospital every 15 minutes on certain routes, has some customers feeling left out.

Rail Tram and Bus Union division president David Woollams said the early feedback they've received has been mostly negative.

"A lot of the passengers are disappointed now that they don't have, in some areas, a direct service, that they do have to changes buses, that there's been more than about 200 bus stops removed right across the network."

"Some passengers are experiencing a 50-minute wait for connecting services."

But while this might lead to frustration, the union wants to remind people that it's not bus drivers who are to blame.

David Woollams hopes the network can be adapted to make public transport a more viable option, but he isn't optimistic that will be the case if buses and waiting for connections will take significantly longer than driving.

Photo: Downer Group