Police Appeal For Information After Teen Is Assaulted and Inappropriately Touched in Hunter Valley

 BY ISABEL EVERETT

Police are appealing for public assistance after a teenage girl was allegedly assaulted and inappropriately touched in the Hunter Valley. 

About 9:40pm on Monday February 15, a 16-year-old girl was walking along Macauley Street in Denman, with an infant in a pram, when she was approached from behind by three people – believed to be a woman and two men – near the intersection of Hunter Street.

Police have been told the teen was pulled to the ground by her hair and kicked several times before a male touched her inappropriately.

The teen managed to free herself, fleeing the scene with the infant before being assisted by a resident.

Emergency services were contacted, and the teenage girl was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital for treatment to cuts and bruises; the infant was uninjured.

Detectives from Hunter Valley Police District have commenced an investigation into the incident.

As inquiries continue, police are urging anyone who may have seen or heard anything in the vicinity between 9pm and 10pm on Monday 15 February 2021 or who may have CCTV to contact Muswellbrook Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Fire Destroys Shed And Contents At Mayfield

BY IAN CROUCH

A man has escaped injury after his shed went up in flames at Mayfield early Wednesday morning.

Police say he was working on a motorised scooter with power tools at the Sharpe Street residence just after midnight when a spark ignited fuel.

Newcastle Fire Command says they received 11 triple zero calls, with crews from Mayfield, Carrington and Lambton arriving to find the tin shed engulfed in flames.

They took about an hour to extinguish and mop up the fire.

The man was not injured, however the scooter and other shed contents were destroyed. 

Runabout Rescue Off Stockton

 BY IAN CROUCH

Two teenage boys have been rescued after their runabout ran aground off Stockton on Tuesday night.

Marine Rescue alerted police to the boys' plight after their boat ran aground off the northern breakwall just before 9.00pm and began taking on water.

A Newcastle Harbour tug boat came to their rescue and pulled the vessel free before a Pilot boat towed them back to the Stockton Jetty.

Both boys were wearing life jackets and weren't injured.

University of Newcastle Students Given Funding to Virtually Exchange to the Indo Pacific

BY JENAE MADDEN 

Students enrolled at the University of Newcastle are being invited to participate in the Indo-Pacific New Colombo Plan virtual Mobility Program for 2022. The initiative provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, is a cultural immersion program, this year delivered online, with hopes to build students skills and better Australia's ties with the Indo-Pacific.

This year's grant amounts to just over $2.5 million and in the commencing 2021 round saw some 768 University of Newcastle students from 13 different study areas engage with host countries all over the Indo-Pacific including China, Fiji and 11 other host nations in the region. 

To support students' ongoing engagement with the Indo-Pacific while travel restrictions are in place, the Government has allowed the program to go ahead modifying the exchange to facilitate online delivery.  This will be through third party online cultural exchange providers. The University of Newcastle's Dary Milani says this way the government can still create global experiences for students.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website says the program will continue to offer people-to-people, institutional and business ties between Australia and the Indo-Pacific, stating online delivery will better the program "encourag[ing] increased diversity and participation by students for whom international travel presents challenges."

"The government has also indicated that funding will be able to be carried over in the event that boarders do open", says Milani, "so we are expecting that many of the students that have been successful winning funding will be able to have a partial international experience next year."

Milani says the government are funding this project to ensure Australia remains strongly aligned with their island neighbors, "[The program] is so important to the future of relationship building, understanding diplomacy in the region and identifying business opportunities between our Indo-Pacific neighbors."

More information can be found on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.  

Man Charged with Sexually Touching Teenage Girl and Approaching Woman on Newcastle Bound Train

 BY ISABEL EVERETT

A man has been charged with sexual touching a teenage girl at a train station, and approaching a woman on a Newcastle bound train.

About 11am, a 17-year-old girl was exiting a train at Central Railway Station when the 26-year-old allegedly sexually touched her.

The girl managed to get away from the man and reported the matter to railway staff, who contacted police. The man boarded another train, which was bound for Newcastle and allegedly approached a 21-year-old woman about 11.20am, making her feel uncomfortable. She moved away to an adjoining carriage before the man exited the train at Epping Railway Station. About midday – in a third incident – a 17-year-old girl was exiting a restroom at Macquarie University Metro Railway Station, when the man is alleged to have pushed her back into the restroom. The girl managed to push the man away and reported the matter to police. About 12.30pm, another 17-year-old girl was exiting the same bathroom when the man allegedly dragged her back into the toilets. The girl managed to get away and contacted police, who attended the scene a short time later. Officers arrested the man on the platform of Macquarie University Metro Station and took him to Ryde Police Station. The 26-year-old Koonawarra man was charged with sexually touch another person without consent (x 3), stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (personal), resist or hinder police officer in the execution of duty and goods in personal custody suspected being stolen.

He was refused bail to appear before Hornsby Local Court on Monday.

Inquiries are continuing.

New Ambulance Stations Open at Birmingham Gardens and Rutherford

BY ISABEL EVERETT

Two new state of the art ambulance stations have been opened at Rutherford and Birmingham Gardens on Tuesday. 

They will replace ageing facilities in the area and expand operations, with additional resources for training and logistics. 

NSW Ambulance's, Jordan Emery, says the station at Birmingham Gardens means more paramedics for the community.

"We have 24 paramedics working out of here on a full time basis, and that means we operate two ambulance day shift  crews, an afternoon shift crew, and a night shift crew."

"They work in a network right across Newcastle, with a whole lot of other resources and neighboring stations to provide the most timely ambulance response to the community." 

Mr Martin said local paramedics were involved in designing the stations, which will better serve the needs of the community.

“The community can be assured that NSW Ambulance is committed to providing the best out-of-hospital clinical care to all patients across the region and throughout the state, even at times of high demand,” Mr Martin said.

The new purpose built stations feature: 

• Internal parking for up to seven emergency ambulance vehicles
• Administration and office areas'
• Staff amenities
• Multi-purpose meeting & training room
• Logistics and storage areas
• Wash bays
• Staff parking

In addition, the new station at Rutherford features an education facility and zone management office area.

NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Clare Lorenzen said the new facilities are crucial services for thousands of residents.

“This project is an important step in the delivery of high-quality mobile emergency care to the people of Birmingham Gardens, Rutherford and surrounding areas,” Ms Lorenzen said.

The Birmingham Gardens Facility

Parliamentary Secretary for Health Natasha Maclaren-Jones, Deputy Director of Clinical Operations NSW Ambulance Jordon Emery, NSW Ambulance Assistant Commissioner Clare Lorenzen, Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin, Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery

Clare Lorenzen, and Jordon Emery

Concrete Truck Rolls Over Near Singleton

BY ISABEL EVERETT

A concrete truck has reportedly rolled over near Singleton, on Elderslie Road. 

Emergency services and crash investigation crews were called to the scene around 3km from the Glendon Lane turn off and Gresford Road, just before 8.00am on Tuesday morning.

The driver has reportedly not sustained any injuries.

Police have left the scene, with a salvage operation now underway.

Contra flow is in place and recovery is expected to take several hours, as the concrete truck was full and may take some time to be uprighted.

One lane is closed, with slight traffic delays.

Images: Singleton Council