Pair charged over Beresfield break and enter

BY JARROD MELMETH

A man and a woman will face court on Monday following an alleged aggravated break and enter in Beresfield overnight.

The pair allegedly forced their way into a home on Beresfield at about 1:50am on Monday, where a man, woman and 8 year old child were asleep.

The occupants were awoken to sounds of items being knocked over.

Police say no one was injured during the incident and the pair were arrested walking down Beresfield Road.

They were charged with aggravated break and enter and enter in company and were refused bail to appear in Maitland Local Court on Monday.

Farewell Beresfield Driver Reviver.

BY DANIELLE RIES

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald has thanked the Morisset Lions Club for their 30-year commitment and dedication to the Driver Reviver program.

The program has been operating for three decades, with the Morisset Lions Club spending 23 years operating the program at Beresfield.

The holiday period is one of the busiest times for the Driver Reviver program has volunteers hand out roughly 15 thousand cups of tea and coffee at the Beresfield Station.

From the first of January 2018, the program at Beresfield will be moved as construction work will be undertaken on the M1 Motorway to upgrade Weakley's Drive and the John Renshaw Drive intersection at Beresfield McDonalds.

Scot MacDonald says this program was and still is a great initiative.

"It's those caravans that you see on the side of the road, strategic points where people have been travelling for a couple of hours, that's when fatigue sets in. Of course, the one at Beresfield was one of the more better-known ones, it was at the end of the old F3 and now the M1.

"It really was an important point for people to get a stop there, have a cup of coffee or a cup of tea, have a chat, just get revived before they go on their long journey."

He also explains this program has been a vital initiative in saving many lives of motorists.

"They've probably saved many, many lives because fatigue is still one of our biggest killers. We've had a lot of improvements in roads and cars and all those sorts of things like RBT over the years.

"I think the Morisset Lions and all the other Lions clubs have done an absolutely magnificent community service over the years."

Scot MacDonald explains there will be other driver reviver stations still available.

"Unfortunately the space is unavailable but there are other rest stops available to the north and to the east."

Credit- Lions Club International Members Website.

300 homes still affected by power outages in Beresfield and Tarro

BY JARROD MELMETH

UPDATE

Power has been safely restored to most homes and businesses around Beresfield, Woodberry and Tarro, after a fault on protection equipment at the zone substation.

Ausgrid is thanking affected customers for their patience.

EARLIER

Emergency crews from Ausgrid are still working to get power back to about 300 homes and businesses in Beresfield and Tarro following almost 3,000 homes and business suffering power outages just after 10am.

Power outages occurred in Ashtonfield, Beresfield, Black Hill, Buttai, Hexham, Lenaghan, Minmi, Stockrington, Tarro and Woodberry.

An Ausgrid spokesperson says "crews are investigating what caused the interruption to the zone substation at Tarro. Once they identify the cause and location of the fault they will work to get the power back safely as quickly as possible."

Power is expected to return to the remaining homes and businesses by 12:30pm today. 

Power outages earlier today.

Power outages as of 11am today.

Police on the hunt for two men who assaulted another

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police have released CCTV Footage of two men who assaulted another man in Maitland last week.

Just before midnight on Friday (11th August 2017) police say a 43-year-old man was assaulted by two men on Lawson Avenue in Beresfield.

The man suffered injuries to his jaw and ended up in the John Hunter Hospital for surgery.

The two men police believe may be able to assist with investigations are described as being aged in their late teens to early 20s with a medium build.

In the images they were wearing dark hooded jumpers and shorts. They are also shown riding skateboards.

Anyone with any information is being urged to come forward.

Man allegedly abused his dog outside a Beresfield service station

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Police are still investigating a man who allegedly kicked and punched his dog outside the BP service station on John Renshaw Drive on Monday night.

A witness told police the man punched his Staffordshire Terrier 4 or 5 times in the head, at about 10pm when it jumped out of the rear seat of his car.

The dog yelped in pain before the man threw the dog back into car.

Not long after, the dog jumped out again receiving the same traumatic treatment it had already suffered.

According the witness, the dog continued to yelp in pain and was tied up by a choker collar in the rain for some time.

Police attended the scene and interviewed the man, but didn't lay any charges at the time.

Police say there were no obvious or serious injuries on the dog after the alleged incident.

Plans to close the iconic Driver Reviver near Beresfield

BY JESSICA ROUSE and JESSICA WORBOYS

The Morisset Lions Club run Driver Reviver station beside the roundabout at the end of the M1 Pacific Motorway near Beresfield could be no more.

The station site is set to become a part of NSW Roads and Maritime Services planned upgrade of the intersection for road widening.

Morisset Lions Club have not only served hundreds of thousands of cups of tea, coffee and handed out millions of biscuits, but have also helped keep down the road toll at the same time.

The decision has saddened and disappointed many, with thousands of people even signing a petition to save the station but to no avail; and no alternative site has been found.

Refilled and replenished, this could be the last Christmas holiday the station is open with the 2017 October long weekend to be its last weekend open.

Image courtesy of NBN News.

Hunter Residents Encouraged to Provide Feedback on M1 Intersection Upgrade

BY GEORGIA LUPTON

The Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) are encouraging the Hunter community to provide feedback on planned upgrades to the intersection at the end of the M1 Pacific Motorway.

The proposal sees the roundabout at the intersection of John Renshaw Drive and Weakleys Drive replaced with traffic lights to improve traffic flow and safety of motorists.

The roundabout connects the M1 Pacific Motorway, the Pacific Highway and the New England Highway with statistics suggesting around 4000 vehicles use the roundabout each hour.

The project will be funded jointly by the Federal and State Government's M1 Pacific Motorway Productivity Package.

Concept designs and an environmental assessment are on display at the RMS Regional Office on Darby Street, Newcastle or can be viewed online at rms.nsw.gov.au.

Feedback can be placed until the 7th of December 2016.

Proposed Upgrades in Beresfield. Image Courtesy: rms.nsw.gov.au

Union Hopes to Secure 80 Jobs for Ingham's Workers

BY GARY LYSAGHT

Workers at the soon to be closed Ingham’s processing site at Cardiff have been thrown a lifeline by rival Baiada Poultry.

Baiada has struck a deal with the Meat Workers Union to hold discussions over taking up to 80 of the workers who aren’t seeking redundancies.

Ingham’s is set to close the Cardiff site in August, citing the need to reduce expenditure as the main reason.

Baiada are set to employ 80 of its rivals staff [Source: Newcastle Herald]

Meat Workers Union Newcastle branch secretary Grant Courtney says the highly skilled workforce is being courted by many employers.

“We’ve also been contacted by JBS, which is the biggest meat processor in the world, based at Scone.  They’ve said if there’s any skilled workers that would like to apply out there, by all means,” he said.

Courtney says workers are also being asked to apply at another Baiada site at Tamworth, while other workers have asked for transfers to Ingham’s Sydney site.

“It’s one of our principle policies about employers having a moral obligation to employ locals first,” says Courtney who believes Baiada are doing just that.

“The company has always said we haven’t got enough skilled workers.  Well now we’ve got a fully skilled workforce that is available,” he said.

Around 360 full time and casual staff work at the Cardiff site and while Courtney admits he doesn’t know when they’ll move on to their new positions, he’s still overwhelmed with the outcome.

“I’m very, very happy and supportive of Baiada [for] taking the high moral ground on this issue and hopefully offering employment to the Cardiff/Novacastrian workforce,” he said.