Newcastle Set to Host Air Quality Review Forum

BY LILLY HAINES

Newcastle is set to host an air quality forum next week to discuss proposed new standards for toxic air pollutants in the region.

A government committee reviewing national air pollution standards is visiting the area to hear from people affected by exposure to toxic gas air pollutants.

The review process is looking at the levels of oxides of nitrogen and related gases sulphur dioxide and ozone.

The review of ambient air pollutants is occurring 21 years after national air pollution standards were introduced.

Doctors for the Environment Australia (DEA) issued a report in February showing coarse particle pollution had worsened in many parts of NSW over the past 12 months, including areas in the Hunter.

The report showed coarse particles exceeded the annual standard at nine locations, up from 2 locations in 2017 and none in previous years.

Eight of these locations were located in the Hunter at sites including Mt Thorley, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Mayfield, Carrington, and Beresfield.

"The Hunter region has quite high levels of particle air pollution both for coarse particles which are mostly coming from coal mines and for finer particles which are coming from fires and coal-fired power stations," Dr Ben Ewald from DEA said.

Dr Ewald said there is also a problem with sulphur dioxide air pollution, which he says is mostly emitted by the power stations but can also come from aluminium smelting.

"Nitrogen dioxide tends to be more of a problem down in Sydney because it's mostly a traffic related thing, but sulphur dioxide is a problem in places like Muswellbrook with exposure to power stations," said Dr Ewald.

"And that shows up also in the monitors close to the Tomago aluminium smelter."

Dr Ewald also said there are serious health risks linked to exposure to ambient gases, with fine particle pollutants increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes as well as having an association with lung cancer.

Respiratory irritations, like triggering asthma attacks, have been linked to suplhur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide exposure with statistics showing a greater proportion of people experience respiratory irritations in the Upper Hunter than other parts of the state.

The air quality forum will be held at Newcastle Town Hall on Tuesday 23rd July beginning at 5:30pm.

Liddell Power Station near Muswellbrook. Image: AAP. 

Man Arrested Over Multiple Threats

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

A man has been charged with multiple offences following a series of threats he allegedly made in the Maitland area on Sunday night.

Police heard the 44-year-old entered the front yard of a home on Cecily Close, East Maitland, at around 7:30pm.

It's alleged the man threatened an occupant of the home and left before returning with a rifle.

A struggle ensued between the pair before the alleged offender once again left.

Police were called to the scene but failed to locate the man.

About 3 hours later he was finally tracked down at Woodberry, where police say he had forced entry to a home on Redbill Drive before threatening and assaulting a 72-year-old woman inside.

With help from the Police Dog Unit, officers arrested the man at nearby Swallow Close following a short foot pursuit.

Officers later seized a rifle from a home on Cecily Close.

The man has been charged break and enter offences as well as common assault, stealing and destroying property and possessing an unregistered firearm.

He was refused bail to face court Monday, July 8th.

Nobody was injured in either incident and police believe the man knew both of the alleged victims.

Council to Vote on Charlestown Boarding House Application

BY KAYNE STEPHENS

Lake Macquarie City Council will tonight decide whether to approve an application for a 40-room boarding house on Mulbinga Street in Charlestown.

Over 150 submissions against the proposal were received by council, among them an objection from Lake Macquarie Police who are urging council to knock down the development application.

A report which will be read at tonight's council meeting says the plan should go ahead if certain conditions are met, and will have positive outcomes for residents due to its proximity to local services.

The report recommends council approve the application, subject to conditions including the requirement for 3-month minimum lodging periods, and a 24-7 on-call manager for the site.

Councillor Barney Langford says he hasn't fully made a decision on how he will vote, but will carefully look at the pros and cons of the application. 

"The need for affordable housing is both a local issue, a regional issue, and across Australia and we need these kinds of facilities," he said.

"I guess the question is 'is this facility going in the most appropriate location?'".

The biggest concerns against the proposal was the type of tenants who would occupy the boarding house which would be situated near a childcare centre and a local swimming pool. 

Council will be told in the report the conditions of approval for the application will address those concerns but local police still are not convinced, predicting a potential rise in crime in the area.

Cr Langford Council says will be reviewing community feedback as it considers the application.

"People are concerned given the fact that there are childcare centres in the area and it's very close to the swimming pool,

"I guess the residents' concerns are that they don't have control over what the clientele will be who will be using that facility," he said.

Council can either approve, reject, or refer the application to the assessing officer to address issues raised.

The meeting will commence at 6:30pm tonight, July 8.

A report to Council recommends the proposal for the Mulbinga Street facility be approved.

The proposal will be decided by council at tonight's Development and Planning meeting.

Search To Resume For Missing Fisherman Near Timber Beach

BY IAN CROUCH

A search will resume this morning for an Eleebana man who was washed off rocks while fishing at Timber Beach near Catherine Hill Bay.

The alarm raised at about 10.30 yesterday morning with Water Police and the Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter commencing a search for the 62-year-old, along with surf Lifesavers.

However, there's been no trace of the man who was wearing a lifejacket.

Acting Inspector Stephen Wade said the man was fishing with his son-in-law when tragedy struck.


"His son-in-law has caught a fish and he (the missing man) has gone to help him pick it up and fallen in the water. He hasn't been seen since," he said.

Police involved with the search for a missing fisherman off Timber Beach Picture: smh.com.au

BREAKING Cruiser Destroyed And Others Damaged By Fire At Wangi Wangi

BY IAN CROUCH

A boat has been destroyed and up to 3 others have been damaged in a devastating fire at Wangi Wangi early Monday.

Fire crews responded to reports an 11 metre cabin cruiser was up in flames about 70 metres off the shore from Wangi Workers Club just after 2am.

However crews couldn't reach the vessel and an RFS boat from Wyee had to be brought in to fight the blaze which had been burning fiercely for up to 45 minutes by the time they arrived.

They managed to extinguish the fire but the cruiser was burnt to the waterline and sank in 5 metres of water as it was being towed to a nearby jetty.

It's not clear at this stage if anyone was on board the boat when the fire broke out.

The RFS says 2 or 3 other boats including a 30 foot cruiser were scorched by the intense blaze.

There is a large amount of fuel debris in the water.

Hazmat crews have recovered 2 gas cylinders - they say fuel is being dispersed by the wind and tide.

An RFS Boat Was Called In To Tackle The Blaze

New Look Shadow Cabinet Puts Hunter in the Spotlight

BY LILLY HAINES

Jodi McKay has made her first trip outside of Sydney since being named leader of the state opposition, to meet with the five Hunter MPs named in her shadow cabinet.

Meeting with local members at Nobby's Beach on Friday, the former Newcastle MP said she wanted her first trip to be to the Hunter because the area means so much to her personally.

The meeting officially introduced the local MPs granted portfolios in the new shadow cabinet, including Deputy Leader and Member for Swansea Yasmin Catley.

Ms Mckay said she is thrilled to have the "girls from the Hunter leading the Labor Party", with both herself and Yasmin Catley hailing from regional New South Wales.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington takes on the role as Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage, and Shadow Minister for Rural Health.

Member for Charlestown Jodie Harrison is joining the shadow cabinet for the first time in her role as Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Learning, which Jodie Mckay says will be important as "Labor sees education as a priority going forward".

Cessnock MP Clayton Barr is taking on the role of Shadow Minister for Water, Innovation, Science, Tertiary Education as well as Shadow Minister for the Hunter.

"It was really important for me that the role of Shadow Minister for the Hunter role was not just focused on the city area of Newcastle," said Jodi McKay.

"I wanted to pay tribute to all those people in the Hunter Valley and I wanted Clayton to take on this role so he could be an advocate for Cessnock, Singleton, Muswellbrook, and Scone because it is important for those communities to know that we are there for them as well."

Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison steps into the role of Shadow Minister for Primary Industries, Medical Research, and Investment and Tourism.

Jodi Mckay said under her leadership the party plans to reconnect with rural and regional New South Wales and is using the appointments of these MPs to key cabinet portfolios to reflect this commitment to regions like the Hunter.

"This region is so important to the economic prosperity of this state," she said.

"I know what makes this region tick, I know how people here feel and think and it is important for me personally that we have a strong team coming from the Hunter."

The opposition leader also used the opportunity to reaffirm Labor's position on a proposed container port terminal in Newcastle, calling for action from the state government.

The comments come after NSW National party leader John Barilaro said he would support removal of restrictions for the expansion of a terminal including the removal of the cap and fee on container movements.

Mr Barilaro was referring to the presence of a clause inserted into the port sale contract by then Treasurer Mike Baird that imposes a cap and fee on all container terminals coming out of Newcastle Port.

Ms McKay said the deputy premier has long claimed he is willing to "stand up to" the coalition's Liberal members and says he should stop posturing and actually deliver for the people of the Hunter.

"The Nationals sat around the cabinet table when their Liberal masters drew up the sale documents for the state's port so John Barilaro can strut and crow as much as he likes about keeping the Liberals honest but this is a real test for him,"

"The people of Newcastle and the Hunter want to see action and even the Nationals rank and file members can see that the regions have been shortchanged because of the deal."

Hunter MP's announced in the Shadow Cabinet met at Nobby's Beach today.
L-R Clayton Barr, Yasmin Catley, Jodie Harrison, Kate Washington, Jodi McKay, Tim Crakanthorp, Jenny Aitchison.

Driver Survives High Speed Crash At Ferodale

BY IAN CROUCH

A 25-year-old man has survived a spectacular high speed crash at Ferodale early Friday morning.

He was travelling southbound on the Pacific Highway at 100 kilometres per hour just after 4.30am when his car left the road, slammed into a tree and overturned.

He managed to climb out of the wreck and was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition with cuts and abrasions.

It's not clear at this stage if he'd suffered a medical episode prior to the crash.