Greater Sydney travel to the regions pushed back to next month

BY JARROD MELMETH

Sydney residents, including the Central Coast, now won't be able to travel to regional areas, including the Hunter until November 1.

Officials met on Thursday to discuss whether regional trips should be delayed due to concerns about lower vaccination rates in some areas.

Port Stephens and Upper Hunter Shire are the only local government areas across the Hunter which have passed 70 per cent double dose vaccinations. Cessnock is currently at 58.4 per cent, while Muswellbrook is at 56.5 per cent fully vaccinated. Byron Bay has the lowest vaccination rates in the state, currently sitting at 47.1 per cent. 

Travel to the regions was due to be included in the freedoms unlocked at 80 per cent fully vaccinated, a target which could be met this weekend.

Deputy Premier Paul Toole is defending the delay, saying he understands the frustrations but there's a responsibility to keep the regions safe.

"We've still got very low vaccination rates. I've got some communities that have only got 47 per cent and I've got some areas that are only just into their early 50's.

"I'm sorry for all those people that have got their bags packed that want to go into regional communities. We want to welcome you back and I know that we want to get our communities buzzing and humming again," Mr Toole said.

Police looking for missing teen believed to be in Warners Bay

BY JARROD MELMETH 

UPDATE 3PM:

Eve has been located safe and well.

EARLIER:

Police are appealing for public assistance in locating Eve Thompson who is believed to be in the Warners Bay Area.

The 17-year-old was last seen at a medical facility in Westmead on Thursday.

A geo-targeting alert has been issued to the residents in the area. Police are urging Warners Bay residents to not disregard the message as spam. The text message is from +61 444 444 444 and is alerting locals of the teens disappearance.

Eve is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 170cm tall, of a thin build and long brown hair.

She was last seen wearing a black oversized hooded jumper, navy tracksuit pants, white Nike Air Force 1 shoes, and carrying a bright blue denim shoulder bag.

Anyone with information about Eve’s whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.

Missing: 17-year-old Eve Thompson

Repeat Offenders: Sydney tree loppers caught back in the Hunter

BY JARROD MELMETH

Police have charged four tree loppers for returning to the region and canvassing homes in the Lake Macquarie area for work. 

Last Wednesday, police received reports about the group of arborists who told them they had been working in the region throughout the week and returning to Greater Sydney on the weekends, including to local government areas of concern.

Seven men were issued with Penalty Infringement Notices totalling $33,000 and directed to return home.

On Thursday, police received another call about a group of six arborists door knocking homes in Cardiff. 

The men who had already been issued with PINs for breaching the Public Health Orders were from Kingswood, Leumeah, Colyton and Whalan and were allegedly operating under a different business name and removed all company identification from their vehicles.

Officers spoke to the group before four of the men were arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station.

The four men were issued with Court Attendance Notices for not complying with the direction to return home and not providing accurate information to Service NSW.

They are due to appear at Toronto Local Court on Tuesday 2 November 2021.

A fifth man – a 33-year-old from Ropes Crossing – was issued with PINs totalling $6000 for breaching the Public Health Order and providing inaccurate information in his permit application.

Investigations remain ongoing into the sixth man.

Doughnut day for the Hunter, regional lockdown extended

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Hunter has recorded its first day with zero local COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began on August 5.

The good news for the Hunter comes as the state records another daily record of 1029 cases.

Due to some concerns around cases, Regional NSW including the Hunter will remain in lockdown until midnight Friday 10 September.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian has also announced a road map with freedoms unlocked as the state hits vaccination targets, which includes one set to start from September 13. 

From September 13, anyone who lives outside the LGAs of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children, all adults must be vaccinated) will be allowed in a person's LGA or within 5km of home.

Anyone who lives in the LGAs of concern households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home).

The new freedoms do not include gathering at a persons home. It must be done in a public space.

As part of the roadmap when 70 per cent full vaccination is achieved, a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions will be lifted for those who are vaccinated.

Once 80 per cent full vaccination is reached there will be further easing of restrictions on industry, community and the economy.

In another positive sign for the Hunter no local exposure sites were listed by health authorities overnight.

Seven 7-Eleven stores at Lambton, Shortland, Belmont North, Charlestown, Warners Bay, Marks Point and Gateshead which were previously listed as exposure sites have now been deemed as not venues of concern.

Hunter New England Health says 7-Eleven closed the stores and did the required cleaning following the notification however, the Venue Risk Assessment team has done a formal assessment on these sites and finds they are not venues of concern for the wider community.

Chief Health Officer urging Hunter residents to "stay the course" as region records one new COVID-19 case

BY JARROD MELMETH

The Hunter has recorded just one case of COVID-19 bringing the regions outbreak to 164 since August 5.

The new case is in Jesmond and is linked to the Jesmond Grove aged care facility. The person was not infectious in the community. 

Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant says she is pleased to see the numbers in the Hunter remaining stable and is urging residents to stay the course.

State wide, NSW recorded 753 cases. 

While the numbers are remaining stable, Deputy Premier John Barilaro hinted on Monday that it was unlikely the Hunter would come out of lockdown at weeks end as there are concerns about the Costco Boolaroo COVID exposure site.

To date, over 700 people have been identified as close or casual contacts, while the number of cases has grown to six, which includes some who reside in Sydney. Hunter New England Health says there is a strong likelihood of more cases.

Hunter New England Health is urging anyone who attended the Costco fuel station and the external membership office from Monday 16 - Friday 20 August at any time to get tested for COVID-19 immediately. This request is also asking any casual contacts who have been identified to have an additional test.

Public Health Physician Dr David Durrheim says the Costco site has caused health authorities a lot of trouble over the weekend.

"This is clearly a high transmission setting, a cool indoor environment that was crowded and unfortunately with multiple people from Greater Sydney.

"One of the people who came up from south east Sydney area brought the virus with them and this is really a disturbing and worrying trend where we get introductions from Sydney despite every effort the local community, local community leaders, the public health team and police are making to keep the virus away.

"We are getting repeated introductions from Sydney, this needs to stop. We need to take action to make sure that no one travels up the M1 and we use local employees for our businesses and employment," Dr Durrheim said.

Just one new exposure site was added overnight at East Maitland. Anyone who attended Your Discount Chemist at East Maitland on Thursday 12 August between 4:37pm - 5pm or Friday 13 August between 11:09am - 11:11am is considered a casual contact and must get tested and isolate until a negative result is received.

For the full list of dates and times for any of the venues of concern, head to the NSW Health website.

Sydney woman fined after being caught in Port Stephens

BY JARROD MELMETH

A Sydney woman has been handed a $1000 penalty infringement notice after being found in the carpark of a Nelson Bay Hotel.

About 12pm on Tuesday, officers from the Port Stephens-Hunter District spoke to the 26-year-old woman where it was established she resided in Sydney's CBD and that she was in the area to visit a friend.

The woman was subsequently issued a $1000 fine and directed to immediately return to Sydney.

Deputy Commissioner Gary Warboys says now is not the time for people in locked down areas to be travelling around the state.

"Can I be clear abut this, if you're from any area covered under the public health order, we don't want to see you away from your home without a valid reason.

"Going on holidays is not a valid reason," DC Warboys said.

Photo: AusTracks.

NSW Government Promise High Speed Rail Ahead Of March Election

BY JARROD MELMETH

The NSW Government have promised to start work on a fast rail network which could include Newcastle to Sydney services, should they be re-elected in March.

The bold plans announced on Tuesday proposed two types of trains, faster rail which would travel at speeds of up to 200km/h and High-Speed Rail which would travel at speeds of up to 250km/h.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a faster rail network will give people greater choice about where they live and how they commute to work.

"We know a fast rail network will transform NSW unlike any other project and we will make it a reality.

"We need to make it easier for people to consider moving to regional NSW and there is no better way to do it than building a fast rail network," Ms Berejiklian said. 

The four routes identified by the state government are Northern Route including the Central Coast and Newcastle; Southern Inland Route including Goulburn and Canberra; Western Route including Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange/Parkes; and Southern Coastal Route including Wollongong and Nowra.

The NSW Government has appointed Professor Andrew McNaughton to lead an expert panel to provide advice to the Premier on how the government should best deliver a fast rail network.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said the commute to Sydney from Newcastle could soon be just 45 minutes.

"Obviously this has to go through a technical case, and they have to go through a business case. This is a commitment we will be following through if we win government in March.

"Following the work to be done by Prof McNaughton, the government will take it to the next stage about what we can do. This could mean faster rail or high-speed rail," Mr MacDonald said.

NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance said in the long term, high-speed rail would see the development of new alignments and lines, providing speeds of over 250km/h, giving the potential to cut travel times by up to 75 per cent.

Artists impression of the planned high-speed rail.

Labor Disappointed Foster Program Omits Hunter

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

State Labor is accusing the NSW Government of ignoring children in regional areas like the Hunter in need of foster care.

A new foster care program for Western Sydney has been announced today, giving $75,000 of non-taxed funding to those planning to stay home and look after children with complex needs.

However, Labor is concerned the most crucial areas are being ignored, with 14,931 children in the Hunter New England Region currently deemed by FACS to be at risk of significant harm, according to their latest Dashboard Report.

Out of the 87,885 NSW children reported as 'at risk' for the period between 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2017, 56,853 were regional, with the Hunter representing the largest proportion by significantly more than the next largest area of need, Western NSW.

Shadow Minister for Family and Community Tanya Mihailuk says it's shocking to see those kids ignored.

"To set up a new foster care program that does not involve regional NSW only serves to highlight the Sydney-centric policies on offer by the Berejiklian government," she said.

"To ignore areas like the Hunter," she continued, "which has the highest number of children reported at risk of significant harm is utterly unacceptable."

Image: ScienceGuide

Government Adamant it's Short Term Pain for Long-Term Gain in Newcastle

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Newcastle's Light Rail Project is completely different to the Light Rail Project underway in Sydney's CBD according to the state government.

It's why they disagree businesses on Hunter Street should be given rental assistance to compensate for the disruption the project has caused.

Sydney's project on George Street has been drawn out for some time and the rental reprieve plan for businesses was announced in August after sustained pressure with the project running overtime by years in some sections. The businesses in the identified construction zones had to prove their financial losses to be eligible.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald said he knows businesses are struggling but it's not like the construction came with no warning.

"We told businesses as early as two years ago, that when this gets underway businesses will feel the pain, there's no question about it and at that time 18 months, 2 years ago I said people should be planning, they should be talking to their landlords, they should be talking to their customers and preparing themselves for it," said Scot MacDonald.

Some businesses in Hunter Street have reported losses of up to 30 per cent.

Hunter Business Chamber CEO Bob Hawes says he's not aware of the exact agreement Sydney businesses are in, but he feels Newcastle should be given the opportunity to have some rent relief.

"But we do believe that if the evidence is there and there is a strong case that can be built that we would hope the government would be objective enough to at least listen or look at it, and appreciate that there might be circumstance there that suggest it might be different to Sydney."

In the end, Scot MacDonald said it should be short time loss for a very long-term gain.

"look we'd like to believe that when we come out of this in 18 months or 2 years time or so since we are progressing through in blocks fairly quickly or reasonably quickly, that we come out at the end of and there is a city there, a CBD there, that people will delight coming to," said Scot MacDonald.

Australia's Future Submarine Fleet could be Calling Newcastle Home

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Newcastle could become the home for Australia's $50 billion future of submarines.

The Daily Telegraph reports both Newcastle and Wollongong's Port Kembla are options on the table for the French-designed Barracuda subs.

Sydney is reportedly too cramped to house the 12 new submarines particularly after the closure of the HMAS Platypus base.

It won't be anytime soon though, the subs aren't expected to be finished until 2030.

Image sbs.com.au

On Track for a Faster Train from Newcastle to Sydney

BY JESSICA ROUSE

It might only be a trial, but Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald is confident a new fast train from Newcastle to Sydney could be permanent.

Starting in November, the trial will see Novocastrians slash 26 minutes off the train trip from Newcastle to Sydney by taking out stops at Cardiff, Fassifern and Eastwood.

Once the new Wickham Transport Interchange is finished the new service will leave at 5:03am, replacing the 4:40am service.

It'll stop at Hamilton, Broadmeadow, Morisset, Wyong, Tuggerah, Gosford, Woy Woy, Hornsby, Epping and Strathfield both ways. 

Scot MacDonald says they've been working on this one for a while and is really pleased the Transport Minister has agreed to the trial.

"The approach that I think has worked here is saying to the Minster, look we don't have to lock anything in, we don't have to have a permanent change at this stage, but at least lets have a trial and see how it goes and as I say I think they'll be a good demand for this." 

Coming back home from Sydney will be quicker as well, 11 minutes will be trimmed off the trip from Central to Newcastle on the 3:45pm train.

The government says the trial was part of the $1.5 billion More trains More Services Program to improve the network, and even better everyone likes a sleep in, no matter how small.

"I think it's terrific for people to not have to get up quite so early, it's still an early start obviously, but I think its what people in Newcastle have been calling out for," said Scot MacDonald.

Hunter man faces Parramatta court for using a carriage service

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Hunter man arrested by detectives from the State Crime Command's Sex Crimes Squad in Sydney yesterday will face court today.

In July Strike Force Trawler detectives began engaging online with the 31-year-old in a bid to catch him out.

Police will allege in court the man believed he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl and engaged in sexually-explicit conversations the child and made arrangements to meet in person.

Yesterday (Thursday 7th September 2017) at about 10:20am strike force officers cornered the man on Church Street in Parramatta and arrested him.

Officers search the man and his backpack finding a large knife and also seizing a mobile phone.

He was taken to Paramatta Police Station and charged with using a carriage service to procure persons under 16 and also with carrying a knife upon apprehension.

The man was refused bail and faces Parramatta Local Court today.

(Images supplied by NSW Police Force)

Wallsend MP faces court today

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery is due to front Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court today accused of improperly gaining access to the electoral roll.

The Electoral Commission received a complaint from a woman who lives outside the Wallsend electorate after she received a letter from Sonia Hornery after pair had clashed on Twitter.

It's alleged the MP obtained the woman's address through the office of Charlestown MP, Jodie Harrison.

MP's are only allowed access to the electoral roll in their electorate.

Sonia Hornery is expected to defend the charge.

Maitland teen reported missing found safe and well

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The 15-year-old boy who went missing from Heddon Greta last month has been found at Blacktown in Sydney's west.

Andrew Webster went missing on July 19 raising serious concerns with his family and police due to his age.

He took himself to Blacktown Police Station at about 5pm yesterday and is said to be in good health.

His relatives have been notified.

Security ramped up at Newcastle airport

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Security has been ramped up at Newcastle Airport and throughout the country, after an alleged terror plot was foiled in Sydney over the weekend.

Australian Federal Police swooped on five properties in Sydney suburbs of Surry Hills, Lakemba, Wiley Park and Punchbowl on Saturday afternoon. Four people, two father and sons, were arrested for allegedly plotting to kill hundreds of people on a plane using a homemade bomb.

A number of items were seized during the search including a meat grinder which is thought to be planned to be used as a part of a bomb.

Travellers were warned overnight security would be stepped up at airports throughout Australia and to allow additional travel time to get through the extra measures.

A spokesperson for Newcastle Airport said they are following authorities instructions and have additional security measures in place at screening points. They say there's no need to arrive hours earlier for flights, but rather just 30 minutes.

Government Must Act Now to Secure High-Speed Rail

BY TYLER FARDELL

One of the biggest projects ever seen in Australia could end up costing billions of dollars more than it should if the State Government doesn't act fast to purchase land.

A high-speed rail line stretching along the East Coast would increase commuter numbers and reduce travel costs as it would connect all the major Eastern cities.

However, Infrastructure Australia is worried the project may result in a cost-blowout if vital land for the rail isn't purchased before developers get their hands on it.

It's estimated securing the plots of land would cost the Government around $720 million dollars right now, but it could end costing at least $3.5 billion dollars if it's sold to developers.

This is because it's around 10 times more expensive to build rail underground through tunnels to avoid housing areas, according to the Executive Director of Policy and Research at Infrastructure Australia, Adrien Dwyer.

"If we act now we can provide the infrastructure we need for the future at significant savings', he said.

It's all guesswork right now, but people are speculating a section of the rail between Sydney and Canberra could be up and running as early as 2032, with Melbourne to follow around 5 years later.

Currently, there are five areas of land between Sydney and Newcastle which are at risk of being sold to developers.

"Something like high-speed rail could be a game-changer for Australia in the future, but we might miss out on that opportunity if we don't make the modest investments now".

Source; SydneyMorningHerald