Hunter MPs Reveal State Budget Wishlists

BY EL FITCHETT AND RILEY TAYLOR

The State Treasurer Dominic Perrottet is set to hand down the 2020-21 NSW Budget tomorrow, and the Hunter's local MPs are hoping for a big investment in the region.

Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Learning and Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison is hoping tomorrow's State Budget could bring long-awaited changes to her electorate.

She hopes to see investment to help reduce overcrowding in local schools, as well as improvements to traffic flow, safety and accessibility on Hillsborough Road at Warners Bay.

With over 400,00 children enrolled across 5,500 early childhood education services in NSW including more than 750 pre-schools, she is also urging the State Government to make preschool free for a further 18 months to boost workforce participation and kickstart the state's economic recovery.

Closing the workforce participation gap could boost Gross Domestic Product by $60 billion over 20 years.

"In the long-term, there's nothing more important than giving every child in NSW access to quality education. In this recession, with lots of families doing it tough financially, we want to make sure no children miss out," Jodi Harrison said.

Meanwhile, Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp believes there are a number of shovel-ready projects across the city which are ripe for funding.

He's calling for investment in the redevelopment of the Newcastle Art Gallery and the restoration of the Victoria Theatre.

"The budget is an opportunity to progress some long-announced projects so we can get boots on the ground sooner rather than later," Tim Crakanthorp said.

He's also looking for funding towards the Hunter Sports and Entertainment Precinct, Newcastle Education Precinct, and the redevelopment of John Hunter Hospital.

"In the midst of a global pandemic, fast-tracking the expansion and redevelopment of the John Hunter Hospital, one the state's busiest, is a no brainer," he said.

Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery is pushing for a funding commitment to infrastructure projects to create local jobs and boost post-Covid economic recovery in the region.

“There’s nothing better to create jobs than rebuilding a canal in Wallsend, and building the Glendale Interchange,” Sonia Hornery said.

The canal would provide a vital flood mitigation system in the low-lying area, which she says is essential to keeping Wallsend residents and their homes safe.

Sonia Hornery also wants to see the Government employ more public sector workers including teachers, police, and nurses and staff at the John Hunter Hospital.

She’s also backed calls for more affordable and social housing programs, along with Newcastle MP Tim Crackanthorp.

"While a serious commitment to social housing will provide numerous trades ongoing work, you can't put a dollar value on what it means to give someone the safety and stability of home, and the opportunity to thrive," Tim Crakanthorp said.

Compass Housing, a Hunter-based community housing provider, has lobbied for a major investment in the sector to tackle the shortage of housing options for homeless and low-income people in the region.

Compass’ Managing Director Greg Budworth believes while the New South Wales Government has been focusing on homelessness, and social and affordable housing, more is needed.

“Sometimes the Government has a will to invest in affordable housing, but they don’t have the money. But we’d like to see more done,” Mr Budworth said.

Bus Timetable Changes Spark Further Backlash

BY KAYNE STEPHENS AND MADELAINE MCNEILL

Newcastle Transport operator Keolis Downer's plans to favour the On-Demand bus service in Lake Macquarie over regular weekend services are being criticised as the area prepares for another timetable revision.

The On-Demand service, which allows commuters to book a bus to pick up or drop them off anywhere in the service area, is being expanded further South towards Belmont TAFE.

The service will double in size and extend to customers in Redhead, Jewells, Floraville, Croudace Bay, Valentine, Belmont North and Belmont.

The frequency of scheduled services will be cut during off-peak times when the On-Demand bus is operating, raising concerns from local MPs Yasmin Catley and Jodie Harrison, as well as the Rail Tram and Bus Union who say the timetable should be left alone.

Member for Swansea, Yasmin Catley, says cutting regular timetables makes the network less reliable for commuters.

"It is delivering less services, longer journey times, and now they actually want to scrap those fixed services," said Ms Catley.

"It is absolutely disgusting the way that we have been treated here in Newcastle by the government. They need to come up here and they need to fix this problem now."

The plans have faced criticism over the level of consultation, as well as the reduction of the 41, 43, and 48 bus services which will be halved.

The services presently run one one hour intervals, but the MPs say it will be reduced to once every 2 hours under the revised timetable plan.

"The community that I represent tell me that they want the 350 route back. It was the route that took people to where they needed to be," said Yasmin Catley.

"We have a situation where a bus timetable and its routes have been implemented but do not meet the needs of the community. This has to stop."

Ms Catley also believes the community isn't quite sold on the new system and still relies on regular timetabled buses to get around.

"Those people who use the buses are concerned about this. On-Demand is not properly tried and tested," she said.

"And we know that it is costing tens of thousands, if not millions of dollars more than the services that we currently have in our fixed lines."

Keolis Downer Hunter Director of Corporate Affairs, Andrew Fletcher, said the company made the decision after listening to customers, speaking with drivers and analysing passenger data.

Newcastle Transport will release updated timetables and launch an information campaign on June 16th to keep passengers informed ahead of the changes, which come into effect on June 30th.

The On Demand service allows commuters to book a bus through the phone or an app, and they can be dropped off anywhere in the service area. Image: Transport NSW

Charlestown MP Takes Action Against Death Threats

BY SARAH JAMES

Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison has taken action after receiving death threats under her office front door in March 2017.

The threatening messages contained in two envelopes said "You are in TREASON, you will be hung until you are dead. No mercy, no prisoners. You are scum".

Ms Harrison immediately reported the matter to police, which led to police arresting disgruntled jewellery business owner Christopher Hardy.

"The reason I decided to press charges was because people come to me for advice on what they should do to stop behaviour that is unsatisfactory to them, and my advice is always to go to the police. It was important that I took my own advice," she said.

Hardy has since been sentenced to a maximum of 16 months' jail with a non-parole period of one year.

While experiencing intimidating behaviour is often part of the job, Jodie Harrison hopes this encounter will send a message to the public.

"It's important that everybody realises it's not satisfactory to threaten anyone."

"I'm very pleased that I've been able to make sure that the workplace for myself and my staff is a safe one," she said.

Jodie Harrison

Demountables on the rise in Charlestown

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison is calling on the Berejiklian Government to address the increasing number of demountables in her electorate.

The number of demountable classrooms has risen to 48 according to figures obtained by the state opposition under the Freedom of Information laws.

Jodie Harrison says the growing population of Charlestown isn't stopping anytime soon, and the government need to recognise this and work towards installing more permanent learning spaces.

"We know that there are more houses in the area, we know that there are people moving into the area and we also know that the government should be providing classrooms for our kid's education and they need to be permanent classrooms because we know that this is going to be an ongoing population increase."

The demountables are taking up, and taking away, valuable playground space from schools, with Warners Bay High School at the top of the list with the most demountables in Charlestown.

The MP says the reliance on these demountable classrooms needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.

"I would certainly hope the Minister for Education and the Premier have been looking at population growth in the area and making sure they're providing infrastructure to deal with that population increase. Our kids deserve a quality education and quality spaces."

Small Step For Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange

BY IAN CROUCH

The long-awaited Lake Macquarie Transport Interchange is about to make a small but significant step towards becoming a reality.

The $25-million stage one, section one road linking Main Road Cardiff with the Glendale retail precinct is set to open in May.

Section two of the project involves the construction of a 3-span bridge over the Sydney to Newcastle rail line at Pennant Street, Cardiff.

Lake Macquarie Council has set aside $6-million for this part of the project and hopes the state and federal governments will contribute the remaining $26-million needed to build it.

Once this stage is built the attention can turn to building the $120-million interchange at Glendale.

Former Mayor Jodie Harrison turns the first sod  on construction of new link road in July 2015. Picture: the herald.com.au

Call To Boost Police Powers

BY IAN CROUCH

Charlestown MP, Jodie Harrison is calling on the state government to boost police powers so they can properly deal with wild parties and those who organise them.

Officers were confronted by a group of around 300 young people earlier this month, with some throwing bottles at police and others vandalising shopfronts on the Pacific Highway.

Jodie Harrison says action is needed now.
 
"It's important that motorists feel safe and it's important that people feel they can walk the street in a safe way," she said.

State Member For Charlestown Jodie Harrison

The most over crowded schools in NSW are here, in the Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Wirripang Public School at Gateshead is the state's most crowded school at 220% capacity according to figures released by the Department of Education.

The documents containing the figures were obtained under Freedom of Information laws and also reveal more than a third of NSW schools are at 100% capacity or more.

Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison says the results are a big reflection of the governments inability to plan, contrary to its commitment to public education.

"It [Wirripang Public School] opened in 2013 under this Liberal government. Now three years later, we've got overcrowding of 220 per cent. Wirripang Public School is over enrolled and what that means is this Liberal government is failing to plan for population growth let alone existing population."

The other five schools in the Hunter which are at more then 100% capacity include Islington Public School, Jesmond Public School, Grahamstown Public School, The Junction Public School and Maitland Grossmann High School.

Time to Scrub Up, Scrubby Creek

BY BRIDGET GUNN

Rehabilitation at Scrubby Creek at the end of James Street near Windale is continuing, with Lake Macquarie Council working hard to remove debris from the waterway.

Recent efforts have seen the removal of 28 shopping trolleys from the creek, and Mayor Jodie Harrison says the rehabilitation of the creek depends on residents acting responsibly and working with Council to preserve the area.

"It's really about everybody working together to ensure that Scrubby Creek is a healthy creek, we need residents to be mindful of what they do," says Harrison.

"It's not just putting things directly in the creek, it's litter. It really is about residents thinking about what they do and it's also about Council putting in place plans to improve the health of the creek."

Scrubby Creek
Source: The Newcastle Herald