Police, Community Come Together to Help Youth Drive

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE 

A program linking police, community groups and disadvantaged young people in Raymond Terrace is celebrating its one-year success at helping them gain their licence. 

Access to a car and an experienced driver to mentor is often a barrier to securing P-plates, but 6 local young people have now been successful through the program, opening doors for their employment and further education. 

It links young men and women with a Kloster's car and experienced driver to show them the accelerator from the brake, and take them out for 120 hours of on-road training. 

The program is a partnership between Port Stephens-Hunter Police District, Raymond Terrace Rotary, Port Stephens Council, Raymond Terrace PCYC, the Wahroonga Aboriginal Corporation and the Raymond Terrace Men’s Shed.

Raymond Terrace Rotary President Steven Merritt says they're hopeful the program will keep growing into the future. 

"We've helped many children, but there's six that we would lay credit to helping secure their licence...having launched the program, we're now finding that several mentors and students are on the go right now." 

Mr Merritt says there are some great flow-on effects stemming from the program. 

"Having a licence comes back to self-esteem and capacity to get a job...having a licence keeps them out of trouble." 

Port Stephens-Hunter Police District Chief Inspector Tony Townsend says the program is an essential part of developing local community ties.

“The existence of the program is the culmination of some significant background work by all partner agencies, who are determined to make a difference for disadvantaged members of the Port Stephens community,” Chief Inspector Townsend said.

Church Knockdown Prompts Heritage Concerns

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

There are concerns over the proposed demolition of a nearly 80-year old church at Mayfield, where many people have celebrated their weddings and christenings.

The Catholic Diocese of Maitland Newcastle says Saint Columban's on Church Street is deteriorating, with concrete cancer in its footings.

The church is located near St Columban's Primary School and is listed as a heritage site in the Newcastle Local Environment Plan.

Secretary of the Hunter chapter of the National Trust, Ann Hardy says the diocese shouldn't rush into demolition.

"I think one of the other options is remediation," she says, "we could look at what remediation recommendations have been made and whether they've been costed to see whether the church is salvageable.

"We're concerned because it's quite a drastic measure...it's worth preserving. It was built around the time of World War Two, built with a lot of support from the local parish and it's got a lot of features internally," Ms Hardy explains, "the design is very inter-war Art Deco and unique."

The National Trust will make a presentation at a City of Newcastle meeting tonight at City Hall from 6pm, which the community is invited to attend and share their opinions.

St Columban's. 

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.

Government Presses Pause On Sale Of Local Building

BY CATHERINE ALLEN

Member for Maitland Jenny Atchison has won a momentary reprieve from the Government's plans to sell the East-Maitland Lands Office building.

The building was deemed surplus to both Property NSW and the 'Whole of Government' earlier this year, leading to the decision for it to be sold off.

Recently Moree Plains Shire Council was offered the chance to purchase the towns Crown Lands Office for just $1.

Maitland MP Atchison wrote to the Hon Victor Dominello MP earlier in the month asking for the local community to be offered the same opportunity.

"The community is sick of having to fight for decent infrastructure and services," Ms Atchison said.

Minister Dominello has advised that he's asked Property NSW to put the sale process on hold so a proper assessment of the community use proposal by the Maitland Regional Museum committee can be made and negotiations with Maitland City Council can take place.

"This is a huge win for our local community and I look forward to the proper assessment of the regional museum committee's proposal

"This is a tribute to the hard work of our community," Maitland MP Atchison said.

Maitland Mercury/WIN

Knights Star Injured in Hamilton Altercation

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

The Newcastle Knights have confirmed star player Jacob Saifiti has broken his leg during an altercation in Hamilton over the weekend.

The 22-year-old was escorted away from the Greenroof Hotel along with another man, reported by The Newcastle Herald to be Central Newcastle player Dane Cordner, early yesterday morning after they engaged in a verbal altercation.

The club understands the pair then came together further down the street, with a push, shove and punch which knocked Saifiti to the ground, injuring his leg.

Police are reviewing CCTV footage from the night in question.

In a statement, the Knights say, "The matter is now with the police. Given the facts, Saifiti may be subject to disciplinary action taken by the club at the appropriate time."

It's anticipated the injury will see Saifiti sidelined for three months.

Jacob Saifiti. Image: Zimbio.

Labor Commits Funds To Disability Advocacy Services

BY CATHERINE ALLEN & CHELSEA EDWARDS

In time for International Day of People with Disabilities, state Labor is committing to fund disability advocacy services in perpetuity, if it wins government in March.

It comes after the state government backflipped on a move to slash $13 million worth of services from the sector, restoring them for the next two years.

Retaining state-funded disability advocacy services was a recurring theme in the inquiry into the implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington says we need permanent certainty.

"Disability advocacy services do the hard work fighting for equality for people with disability. Their funding remains uncertain."

"Labor government is committed to funding disability advocacy services in NSW because we want them to be able to continue the important work that they do."

Image from: International Network of Disability

Greens Push Against Ravensworth Open-Cut

BY CHELSEA EDWARDS

Historical frontier war site and designated Aboriginal Place, Ravensworth Estate, is set to become an open cut coal mine under a plan by Glencore.

Under the National Parks and Wildlife Act, the site is considered a place of special significance to Aboriginal Culture and the Wonnarua People.

An application has been lodged by Greens MP David Shoebridge on behalf of traditional owners to the federal Environment Minister Melissa Price.

The application is currently under consideration.

David Shoebridge says with the state government refusing to act they must rely on federal protection.

"Ravensworth was the centre of Aboriginal resistance, resistance to the theft of traditional owners land and resistance to the loss of their sovereignty.

"That history has often been ignored and if this mine goes ahead this history will literally be destroyed.

"None of these state heritage laws can stop the approval of this coal mine. That is why we've had to rely on the urgent application under Commonwealth law."

Image from: The Australian