Ceremony for Newcastle Volunteers

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Newcastle Lord Mayor, Nuatali Nelmes has today thanked those volunteers who make our city a better place.

Around 100 volunteers gathered for morning tea this morning at Newcastle Museum to mark their thousands of hours worked.

350 special people have rolled up their sleeves to get involved in various projects across the city, with volunteers at Blackbutt Reserve and Landcare alone racking up 24,000 hours.

Thanks: the ceremony this morning. Image: NCC. 

Williamtown Residents Disappointed with Council's "window dressing" Rate Relief

BY MADELAINE MCNEILL

Residents of Williamtown's red zone are disappointed with Port Stephens Council's proposed rate relief, with Fullerton Cove Residents Action Group President Lindsay Clout labelling the move a "window dressing exercise."

The relief would see rates reduced by up to 50% for residents of the red zone, with the cost balanced by a small increase for remaining ratepayers. The proposed changes have left some residents concerned Council is simply shifting the cost instead of fixing the problem.

Lindsay Clout says Council should be challenging the Department of Defence over the issue.

"Are they really trying to help us? If they were, they'd be standing beside us and demanding Defence clean up this contamination," said Lindsay Clout.

"That's what we want."

Council admits the move won't solve everything and says the rate reduction is a way for them to help at a local level, but residents aren't satisfied enough is being done.

"We're still being contaminated, people are sick, people can't move out because land prices have collapsed," said Lindsay Clout.

"And to think that a small percentage rate reduction is going to fix the problem (is) nonsense."

Williamtown residents aren't satisfied with proposed rate relief. Image: ABC.

Pressure mounts on convicted Archbishop to step down

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

Greens MP for Justice, David Shoebridge is addressing parliament today over what he's labelled the shocking response of the Catholic Church over a Newcastle Court's conviction of a senior clergyman.

Adelaide Archbishop, Philip Wilson was on Tuesday found guilty of concealing the abuse of four boys in the Hunter during the 1970s by late paedophile priest James Fletcher.

Abuse survivor advocates have slammed statements from Archbishop Wilson and the Church which announced his step down from duties but not a relinquishment of his title.

They believe the Church's prayers for those who "shared their stories" during the trial, displays no regret or remorse for Wilson's actions.

David Shoebridge is calling on state parliament to admit the Church has not only failed victims historically but is failing survivors now in 2018.

"I can't imagine any other workplace or organisation that would see one of their senior leaders convicted of the crime of concealing child sex offences and continue to have a position of authority," Mr Shoebridge said.

"Of course there should be a defrocking process started," he said, "it shouldn't have just started at the time of the conviction, the Church should've had the measures in place for as soon as a conviction was announced."

Mr Shoebridge believes it's not good enough for parliament to adopt some of the recommendations of the December report of the Royal Commission, but rather, reform is needed across the criminal justice system to ensure religious institutions cannot access mitigation such as the Ellis defence.

The Ellis defence stems from a 2007 case in the NSW Court of Appeal which saw abuse survivor John Ellis lose his case to access compensation from the Church, as trustees were held not to be liable for the crimes of individuals operating in the organisation.

Pressure is now mounting on Philip Wilson to stand down from the Archbishophood, which, in a statement, he promised to do "if it becomes necessary or appropriate."

Philip Wilson leaves Newcastle Local Court. Image: ABC. 

Newstart Recipients Feeling the Pinch

BY SAM ISAAC

Hunter area officer for the Salvation Army, Mark Everitt says that Newcastle is much like the rest of the country when it comes to Newstart recipients.

That is to say, after accommodation costs, Novocastrians on a Newstart allowance live on just $17 a day.

"We've got good prosperity, we've got success at a lot of places," Mark says. "But it doesn't take much to find the people who are still struggling, even with all the support we've got people are just doing it hard."

In a damning data report released yesterday by the Salvation Army, it was shown that the Newstart allowance program does extremely little to relieve low-income earners of financial hardship.

90 percent of the 1,267 respondents to the survey were living under the poverty line ($426.80 per week) and 84 percent were paying more than half their income on housing. Furthermore, 73 percent of respondents could not raise $500 in a week in the event of an emergency.

The original Newstart program was designed to help people suffering a period of unemployment or to assist workers not making enough to support themselves and their families. The current Newstart allowance for a single adult is $545.80 per fortnight.

It has been this way since 1994, with no adjustment for inflation. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia, if inflation were taken into account, Newstart recipients would be on $976.73 per fortnight.

The Salvation Army is urging the government to review the Newstart program so that low-income earners are not left in the dust. This, however, seems unlikely as the Turnbull government refused to raise the Newstart allowance just two weeks ago.

Mark Everitt says the best way to raise up to or above the poverty line is to find a job but that is an incomplete solution for some Australians. "Finding employment is obviously going to be a good thing," says Mr Everitt. "But I guess we'll never have 100% employment unless something drastic happens to how we structure our society."

The Salvation Army does what it can to compensate for the Newstart program's shortfalls but the report released yesterday shows that the problem is bigger than people can handle.

Source: The New Daily

New fitness areas in pipeline for Newcastle

BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE

A plan to provide outdoor exercise equipment for community use has been proposed by Newcastle City Council and is awaiting public feedback.

Six of the new fitness stations would be installed at Camp Shortland, Newcastle Beach, Nesca Park, National Park, Griffith Park and on the Fernleigh Track, in order to help keep locals in-shape.

The stations would include chin-up bars, sit-up benches and other static apparatus to assist muscle strength and cardio fitness.

Council's vision is to have one exercise site across the city per 18,000 people by the year 2026, as the number of Newcastle residents climbs to 180,000.

Later on, the number will be reduced to one fitness station per 12,837 people, to bring us in line with Australia's metropolitan hubs.

"This strategy is a win for everyone who likes to exercise outdoors and also for areas of Newcastle that will get a boost from the daily presence of fitness enthusiasts," Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.

She's encouraging residents to have their say.

"As well as healthier bodies," the Lord Mayor continued, "these will also encourage greater social interaction for better communities, so I urge Novocastrians to take a look at this draft strategy and to let us know their thoughts about our plan."

Submissions will close on the 20th of June.

Give me 20: People getting fit at Lambton Park. Image: NCC. 

Man Attacked And Robbed At Jesmond

BY IAN CROUCH

Police are searching for two thugs who attacked and robbed a man at Jesmond.

The 38-year-old withdrew cash form an ATM at Stockland Jesmond at about 6.00pm on Wednesday.

He then walked through a nearby sports field and entered a laneway near Fraser Street where he was attacked from behind by two men.

The men demanded his wallet before knocking him to the ground, assaulting him several times and stealing his mobile phone and wallet.

The victim managed to run to a nearby bowling club and alert police.

Investigators are appealing for anyone with information or anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area at the time to come forward.

 

Clean Up Ordered Of Contaminated Industrial Site At Rutherford

BY IAN CROUCH

NSW Environment Minister, Gabrielle Upton has ordered the clean-up of a disused waste oil recycling facility at Rutherford.

It comes after the company behind the facility, Truegain went into liquidation in September 2016, leaving behind stores of waste oil and other chemicals.

The Environment Protection Authority also found a high level of PFAS contamination in liquid waste across the site, prompting concerns for the nearby Stony Creek and Swamp Creek waterways.

The government has called for tenders to manage the clean up.

The Now Defunct Truegain Plant At Rutherford. Picture therherald.com.au