UPDATED! Man Missing From Scone Found Safe And Well

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

This just in from Police:


A man missing from the Hunter Valley has been located safe and well.

The 47-year-old man was last seen at his workplace in Scone on Saturday (1 June 2019).

About 6pm yesterday (Tuesday 4 June 2019), the man attended Kings Cross Police Station in Sydney following a widespread public appeal to locate him.

Police would like to thank the media and public for their assistance.

EARLIER:

Police are appeal the public's help to locate a man missing from the Hunter Valley.

47-year-old Matthew Warwick Brooker hasn't been seen since he left his workplace at Scone after feeling unwell on Saturday, May 4th.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 175cm tall with a medium build, brown hair and possibly a moustache and/or goatee beard.

Matthew is known to frequent parts of Sydney and could be driving a 2013 white Volkswagen Up! with NSW registration CMH 15F.

There are concerns for Mr Brooker’s welfare as his family says the disappearance is out of character.

Matthew Warwick Brooker hasn't been seen since May 4. Image: NSW Police

A car similar to the one Mr Brooker may be travelling in. Image: NSW Police

Woman Flown to Hospital after Serious Quad Bike Accident in the Upper Hunter

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A 43-year-old woman is nursing serious injuries in the John Hunter Hospital after a nasty quad bike accident in the Upper Hunter.

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to the Muswellbrook property last night where they found the woman had suffered head, chest and arm injuries after the quad bike rolled down an embankment.

She was airlifted to hospital and remains in a critical but stable condition.

In another incident this morning a man was flown to the John Hunter Hospital after he fell off a horse in Scone.

The 24-year-old fell from his horse at Scone Racecourse and suffered pelvic injuries.

He's in a stable condition.

Driver dies in a Serious Crash near Scone

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A driver has died after a serious accident on the New England Highway at Scone.

Emergency services were called to the highway near Parkville just after 8 o'clock this morning following reports a ute had collided with a truck.

The 21-year-old male driver of the ute died at the scene while the male truck driver was trapped in the vehicle for a short time.

The truck driver, a 61-year-old man, has now been flown to the John Hunter Hospital with possible lower leg and neck injuries.

The highway is closed in both directions while police try to figure out just how the accident occurred.

There are diversions in place for light vehicles and larger vehicles are being parked.

Mother's murder trial continues

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The trial continues for the Scone woman accused of killing her toddler 16 years ago.

The court heard she told a family friend she sacrificed the child to the Wolf Man. She allegedly said the wolf man was after her and she was searching for the "chosen one" to give her a baby girl.

The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is accused of killing her 16-month-old daughter sometime between Christmas 2000 and Christmas 2001.

Previously the court heard the woman told a Red Cross worker the girl was in a better place and told others she was living with another family in an informal adoption arrangement.

She has told varying accounts of the girl's whereabouts over the years but never said exactly where she was.

The woman has a long history of mental illness.

Newcastle Supreme Court Image abc.net.au

Accused murderer's trial begins

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The toddler who went missing from Scone more than 16 years ago still hasn't been found, but her mother and accused murderer's trial began yesterday in Newcastle Supreme Court.

The 44-year-old woman, who can't be identified for legal reasons, stands accused of murdering her 16 month old daughter between Christmas 2000 and Christmas 2001.

She was arrested in Scone last year when community services became involved with another child - she has been diagnosed with mental illness and Crown Prosecutor Lee Carr alleges when asked where her daughter was she gave varying accounts and never told authorities her exact whereabouts.

One such account includes the mother alleging she sent the toddler to live with an elderly couple. But investigations into the alleged couple found they didn't even exist.

The Crown said in his opening address: "the accused killed the child and disposed of the body. That body having never been found".

The trial continues.

Fatal collision near Scone

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A Queensland woman has tragically lost her life in a head-on collision near Scone this morning.

At about 7:30am, a Hyundai collided with a Mercedes travelling in opposite directions along the New England Highway.

The 68-year old woman and the 51-year old female driver of the Mercedes were both trapped and had to be freed by emergency services.

The driver of the Hyundai was taken to hospital with critical injuries but died a short time later.

A 5-year-old girl, the passenger in the same car also sustained serious injuries.

Police understand the young girl and the woman who tragically lost her life are members of the same family. Other family members were travelling in a separate car at the time of the crash.

The driver of the Mercedes was initially taken to Scone Hospital but is now being transported to the John Hunter Hospital by the Newcastle based Westpac Rescue Helicopter with spinal and leg injuries - she's in a stable condition.

Inquiries are continuing and the New England Highway has reopened under stop/slow traffic conditions.

Scone practice "best in NSW"

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

The Scone Medical Practice has been named the best general practice in NSW by the Primary Health Network.

Practice Manager Ross Higham says the practice offers a range of services for rural communities.
[Picture: Scone Advocate]

The 82-year-old facility was recognised based on its high retention rate and the wide range of services it provides to rural communities.

“The practice also arranges for visiting specialists in a variety of areas … to provide services on site at the practice’s purpose built medical facility,” PHN CEO Richard Nankervis said.

The ‘best in NSW’ Award recognises the practice’s commitment to the health and wellbeing of its patients, PHN said in a statement.

Practice Manager Ross Higham said the facility aims to give a comprehensive experience for patients.

“We try to give it widest available services we can.  We have a physiotherapist on site, we have a psychologist on site,” he said.

“We have visiting dietitians, visiting endocrinologists, and a cardio specialist as well.”

He said that while regional hospitals at Tamworth, Newcastle and Maitland all provided comprehensive services, “the closest one to us is an hour-and-a-half away”.

“We’re trying to cut down the distance that people have to travel as a priority,” he said.

The award comes as regional Australia continues to battle a shortage of doctors in regional Australia, with a bulk of GPs consolidated in metropolitan areas.

In 2015, the then-Abbott government introduced new incentives to get doctors into small regional towns, and out of larger centres like Cairns and Townsville.

Part of the plan was to increase the paid incentive from $12,000 and $23,000 for doctors working in towns of less than 5,000 people.

"It makes more sense to use that money to attract doctors to where the greatest shortages are - small rural and remote communities, not big regional cities," Rural Health minister Fiona Nash said at the time.

"This means bigger incentive payments will go to doctors who choose to work in the areas of greatest need."

However, speaking with the ABC late last year, Rural Doctors Association of Australia president Dr Ewen McPhee said incentives put in place so far haven't helped.

"Even with the best of intentions over the past 20 years, we still haven't fixed the rural workforce shortage problem," he said.

However, Mr Higham said he's often seen a link between where a training doctor has come from and where they end up practising.

"We generally find that people with rural backgrounds tend to go to rural practices because they understand the community," he said.

"We also have some doctors from Sydney who come out here as well and find the experience very rewarding, both medically as well as fitting into the local community."

The Scone medical practice opened in March 1934 by Dr W.O Pye, the great-great grandson of British convicts. 

Carly McBride's Parents Find Solace in her Discovery

BY GARY-JON LYSAGHT

Carly McBride’s parents have breathed a sigh of relief, finding solace in the knowledge that their daughter has now been found, almost two years after her disappearance.

McBride went missing on September 30, 2014 in Muswellbrook, with no one hearing from or seeing her for almost two years, before her remains were found last weekend outside Scone.

Steve McBride, Carly’s father was thankful for the support his family was given, including from volunteers and the police.

Carly McBride's parents, Leanne Williams and Steve McBride [Image Source: The Herald].

However, he also called on the community to help if they can.

“Hopefully the rest of this investigation is aided by what may have been found already, but we really still need as much help that we can get.”

Strike Force Karabi has was established shortly after Carly McBride’s disappearance, with detectives treating it as suspicious.  They are now treating her death the same way.

Carly McBride’s father and mother, Lorraine Williams have said it is the best possible outcome they were hoping for and are happy to know they can their daughter can rest in peace.

“It’s everything, the rest is pretty well irrelevant to us.  It’s such an unexpected result and to be able to now put here in her final resting place is something we’d ever get the chance to do,” said Mr McBride.

“It’s overwhelming.”

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.

Layoffs at Scone Abattoir

A downturn in the Australian livestock industry has seen 155 workers losing their jobs at a Scone abattoir.

The JBS owned facility aims to combat the downturn by shifting from double to single shift work days, resulting in the layoffs.

Most of the workers came from labour hire firms (who outsource skilled and unskilled blue-collar workers) or are on temporary work visas.

Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union Secretary, Newcastle and Upper NSW Grant Courtney said the writing for the layoffs was written on the wall.

"When there's livestock downturn or when the market corrects itself, jobs are always lost and usually the areas that are dropped first are labour hire workers."

JBS has confirmed it is still committed to the future of its Scone operations.

Mr. Courtney said the focus should remain on keeping local workers.

"It's about career opportunities for local people, who are also looking for work."

"The company needs to have a look at itself and say "well okay, who are the people we should be keeping"."

"We want to make sure that there's a career path for permanent residents into the future."

It comes after the abattoir was sold by Primo to JBS in March 2015. At the time, New England MP Barnaby Joyce confirmed then Treasurer Joe Hockey had the authority to divest JBS of the meatworks.  

Image courtesy of Emma Brown, via ABC News (LINK).