Kent Hotel Makes State's Most Violent List

Newcastle's party scene has cleaned up it's act, with only one venue named on the State's Most Violent Venues list.

The Kent Hotel will now face Level Two restrictions forcing it to stop serving alcohol  30 minutes before closing, stop using glassware after midnight and provide alcohol time-outs every hour after midnight.

It comes after they recorded 12 assaults in the last year.

Rail Report Recommendations

The Newcastle rail industry could be revitalised if the State Government follows the recommendations of a recent report.

If followed, the country would benefit from seeing 30% of rail manufacturing value remain with domestic suppliers.

The move would add approximately $15 billion to the economy over a 30 year period, with $3 billion coming from the Hunter.

Special Olympics Kick Off

Thousands of tourists will pour into Newcastle this weekend, as Sunday's Opening Ceremony at Hunter Stadium kicks off the Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games.

The Games will draw more than 2000 athletes from 30 countries as well as officials, spectators and volunteers.

The Games will start a year of Newcastle hosted events, including the Nutri-Grain Iron-man series, the Australian Bowl-riding Championships and the countdown for the 2015 Asian Cup.

Koala Habitat Centre for Salt Ash

Thanks to a government grant, a koala habitat centre at Salt Ash is in the future for Oakvale Farm and Fauna World.

The grant has been awarded to achieve the innovative project which will benefit koala preservation efforts.

It is also expected the grant will assist improvement in the quality of tourist experiences in the Port Stephens and Newcastle areas.

Police Seek Witnesses To Brawl

A 22-year-old man is due to front court today charged with assault following a wild brawl at Birmingham Gardens.

A 19-year-old woman has also been charged after allegedly kicking a female paramedic in the head as the young woman was being conveyed to hospital for treatment on a badly cut hand.

Officers were called to Morris Street at about 10.30 on Saturday night to reports several people had been injured.

 

Police allege the 22-year-old assaulted a 50-year-old man with a glas bottle before slashing him with a knife.

 

The older man fell to ground, breaking his wrist. He also sustained multiple cuts to his body and head wounds.

 

Police and the NSW Ambulance Service say the alleged assault on the female paramedic is reprehensible.

 

There have been 52 separate incidents of physical or verbal assault on paramedics compared to just 16 in the same period last year.

 

Anyone who can assist police with their inquiries is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Time To Pay

Hunter Councils are getting tough on people who don't pay their rates.

 

Cash-strapped councils are taking court action to seize homes and property in a bid to recover more than $14,000,000 in unpaid rates dating back years.

More than 11,600 demand notices were sent out by Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock and Port Stephens councils last financial year.

Reduction in DA Processing Times

Cessnock City Council has reduced processing times for development applications for local residents and businesses.

The September quarter showed a marked improvement from 2012 where the recorded average application took 93 days to process.

 

The September quarter showed a reduction in the average time taken to 57 days.

The improvement will make the city more competitive within the region.