Family Concerned for Welfare of Missing Muswellbrook Man

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are looking for any information from the public to help locate a man who has been missing from Muswellbrook since earlier this month.

Frank Beckingham was last seen in the early hours of Friday 15 September.

The 48-year-old's disappearance was reported to local police the following day.

His family have concerns for his welfare, as it's understood his disappearance is out of character.

Frank Beckingham is being described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 180cm tall with a slim build and shaved head. He has blue eyes, a goatee and a moustache with several tattoos.

The last time anyone saw him he was wearing navy blue track-pants and a brown jumper.

Anyone with any information is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Frank Beckingham. Image NSW Police Force 

Plan to make Port Stephens more accessible to the Disabled

BY ADAM ACHURCH

Port Stephens council is seeking feedback on the draft of the Disability Inclusion Action Plan, which was drafted to in order to create a more inclusive, accessible and liveable place for residents.

The plan will mainly prioritise on residents with a disability, to let them have more choices as to how they live their lives. If the plan is passed, they have the ability be to attend events and other social outings with changes to established environmental factors such as foot paths and ramps.

While the plan does in fact prioritise the disabled, it will have a much broader impact on the community as a whole. Emily Graham, the public relations and marketing coordinator for Port Stephens council, believes it will be huge benefit to the community.

 "Becoming a more socially inclusive, accessible and liveable place will benefit everyone in Port Stephens, particularly the more vulnerable people in society such as young children and the elderly."

Residents of Port Stephens are encouraged by Emily Graham to participate in the feedback exercise, so that the plan they present to the council will be "something that is built by the community and just by the council".

The draft is currently on public exhibition on the Port Stephens city council website, but will only be on exhibition until Thursday 7th of September. Residents are encouraged to review the plans and leave feedback pertaining to their opinion of the way the place is run.

The race for Mayor of Maitland is officially on

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Local council elections are just one month away and Maitland has officially chosen their candidates for Mayor.

Among the candidates is John Brown for the Greens, Loretta Baker for Country Labor, Bob Geoghegan for Liberal and three independents Brian Burke, Ken Wethered and Phillip Penfold.

Mayoral candidate Phillip Penfold says he's confident, but there is some great competition.

"We've got six good people put their hand up to speak to be that civic leader for Maitland. I'm not taking this for granted, but my team of candidates and my supporters are going to work very hard over the next month to give our policies, give our positions and give people are fair choice moving forward."

Liberal are promising they'll get back to basics in Maitland and their Mayoral candidate Bob Geoghegan says he'll focus on rates, roads and rubbish.

"Council always has to focus on the main functions of council which are roads, rates and rubbish with the roads in Maitland there are certainly issues with roads, with regards to rates I think we have to always be very conscious of keeping the cost of living down particularly in this era of high electricity prices."

With current Mayor Peter Blackmore retiring from the top job at the upcoming election, the job is anybody's game.

Calls for a ban on developers and real estate agents running in council elections

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Shadow Minister for Local Government, Peter Primrose has chosen Newcastle to announce Labor is putting forward legislation to ban developers and real estate agents from holding office on local councils.

The new legislation is being put forward in a bid to avoid the electoral donations scandal which surrounded the state election in the Hunter in 2011 and stamp out corruption or the perception of corruption in local government decision making.

The opposition believes having individuals who are affiliated in development or real estate given the power to make decisions on a council is a major conflict of interest.

"We're not saying that real estate agents and all developers are bad people, we're just saying that the conflict of interest is such that it's just not appropriate for them to sit and make judgements and decisions in relation to local government planning and other matters," said Peter Primrose.

Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp, Shadow Minister for Local Government
Peter Primrose and Lord Mayor of Newcastle Nuatali Nelmes. Image Newcastle Herald

"The parliament has under both parties unanimously agreed to introduce bans on developers making donations at the council and state elections and yet despite the fact that that ban continues on making donations we're still allowing those same people to sit as  councillors in local government."

Banning property developers and real estate agents from running in local elections is one part of a three-point plan Labor has for the legislation, which also includes popularly elected mayors for four years to end horse-trading between parties for the position and give locals a say and also putting a cap on political donations.

Labor is calling for the cap to be placed on political donations and campaign spending ahead of the local council elections in September, less than 100 days away.

"At the moment, be it the leader of the opposition or Premier Berejiklian when they're running, there are limits on how much money they can spend but that doesn't apply at local council level so we are calling upon premier Berejiklian to introduce spending caps as recommended by the electoral matters committee," said Peter Primrose.