Calls for Slower Speeds and Safer Streets

BY BELLA MIDDLETON

The CycleSafe Network, a Hunter based organisation, have thrown their support behind the United Nations call for 30km/h speed limits in local streets. 

The network says the proposed low speed limit would be especially important in areas such as Darby Street and Beaumont Street, which are rife with shops, pedestrians, schools, and residential areas.

In 2020, Transport NSW introduced a 30km/h trial around the Honeysuckle and Newcastle foreshore. 

"The Honeysuckle 30km/h zone was an excellent step in the right direction," said CycleSafe Network Spokeswoman Deborah Moore.

"Honeysuckle appears to be designed for high speeds - it’s wide, straight and subsequently fast. To reduce the speeds at which people actually drive, it’s not as simple as reducing speed limits. We also need to re-design streets for lower speeds," Ms Moore said.

Traffic injury is the biggest killer of Australian children under 15, with research showing that a child hit by a car at 30km/h has a higher chance of survival than a car going 40km/h. 

Newcastle Cycleways spokesperson and UON health researcher Matthew McLaughlin will greatly benefit Novocastrians and save lives. 

“There are a lot of myths about 30km/h zones. They’re sometimes seen as anti motorist. In fact, low speed streets help cut congestion and don’t significantly increase journey times.

"Low speeds save lives and people consistently say they want lower speeds where they live," Mr McLaughlin said.

                                                          Image Credit: Bicycle Network

Station Open Days Going Ahead Despite Union Directive

 BY JARROD MELMETH

Many Fire Stations across the Hunter are swinging their doors open for their annual open day, ignoring a directive from the Union.

The Fire Brigade Employees Union sent a "Code Red" to its members instructing those in "Metro Zones" to not participate in any in-person activities as part of Open Day. 

The NSW Fire & Rescue  webpage says that stations across Sydney, Illawarra and The Hunter will not be going ahead, however, 2NURFM understands Wallsend, Lambton, Minmi & Cardiff will be opening as well as others on an individual participation basis.

Stations that are opening their doors will be observing COVID public health restrictions which means no barbeques will be taking place.

Minister for Police & Emergency Services David Elliott has slammed the union for playing politics with fire safety.

"Open day is a staple of our community and helps to build resilience by reducing both the likelihood and impact of emergencies," Mr Elliott said. 

New Innovation in Understanding Child Protection for the Hunter

BY Giorgia Wilson 

A project by the University of Newcastle aims to develop a map of the historic perpetrator networks in the Catholic and Anglican Churches, charting their movements within the institutions. 

Dr Kathleen McPhillips, Senior Lecturer at the University of Newcastle School of Humanities and Social Science, is currently recruiting survivors and community members for the project focusing on the Hunter. 

"What we're doing is trying to see if there is evidence to establish whether there was an organisation of clergy perpetrators and not just a few bad apples in an otherwise good barrel as claimed by the Churches," said Dr McPhillips. 

This follows on from the Child Abuse Royal Commission findings for the Hunter region and involves using social network analysis to build a map of the network of clergy perpetrators and their supporters. 

Dr McPhillips says research suggests that child abuse was highly organised and facilitated by adults both within and external to schools and parishes. 

"We suspect there is a network" says Dr McPhillips, "we think that survivors have a lot of information that can help us put this map together."

Dr McPhillips' research is investigating public inquiry and church-based archives and documents, and interviewing survivors, their families, and the community to put together the picture of the movement of the clergy perpetrators and who they networked with. 

"The project is very important in terms of child safety" said Dr McPhillip's, "we will develop more skills to understand child protection and how that is best served." 

If you would like to take part in the project, Dr McPhillips can be contacted via email at kathleen.mcphillips@newcastle.edu.au or phone her office on 02 4921 5920

If you need help, please call Lifeline on 13 11 14. 

Dr Kathleen McPhillips

Catholic and Anglican Churches

$34 Million Still To Be Granted in Coastal Erosion Fund

 BY JARROD MELMETH

Questions are being raised around a $34 million gap in funding for communities affected by coastal erosion.

A $72.7 million funding pool was allocated by the NSW Government to provide grants under the Coastal Estuary grant program from 2016/17 to 2020/2021, which is due to end in June this year.

NSW Labor says a Freedom of Information request has revealed just over $38 million has been allocated.

Records show almost 250 funding applications were lodged, and a quarter of those were rejected. 

Among those rejected was Port Stephens Council despite serious erosion issues at Jimmy's Beach.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington says local governments have been begging for this money.

"The funding is meant to end by June of this year. That can't happen. Those funds need to remain available.  

"They have been severely affected by erosion and yet this money is sitting on half of the bucket of funding that it announced to support and to try and fix these problems.

"We have got coastlines washing away, houses hanging off cliffs and councils are desperate for more resources," Ms Washington said.

Jimmy's Beach Erosion. Photo: SERC

Stockton Ambulance Station Upgrades On The Way

BY JARROD MELMETH

Planned upgrades to the Stockton Ambulance Station will get underway later this year, with a tender now awarded.

The refurbishment works will include roofing repairs, alterations and additions to staff amenities; as well as other internal and external upgrades such as new carpet and repainting.

Chief Superintendent Jordan Emery says the upgrades will increase staff morale and in turn create better outcomes for the community.

"I think we all know that the quality of the infrastructure in which we work does contribute to morale. We know this will make a significant difference to their everyday working experience. 

"Increased moral means increased job satisfaction which means safer care to the community," Supt Emery said.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazard reinforced Superintendent Emery's statement saying out paramedics need the best possible workplace to provide emergency medical care.

Stockton Ambulance Station via Google Maps.

Inquiry Focuses on Lake Macquarie Public Housing

BY JARROD MELMETH

The plight of tenants who have reported appalling conditions in public housing across Lake Macquarie was the focus of a Parliamentary Inquiry into the Management of NSW Public Housing Maintenance.

Occupants are reporting an alarming number of instances of black mould infestations, leaking roofs, rotten carpets and broken doors and windows.

Member for Charlestown Jodie Harrison has told the inquiry that complaints about public housing maintenance took up more than 50 percent of the Charlestown Electorate offices work.

"Fundamentally the system is broken. It is non-responsive to peoples concerns and we are not getting the best return on our assets.

"The age of public housing stock and a failure to maintain these properties is one of the underlying problems.

"In Windale we have houses that were built in the 50s & 60s and they have not been maintained to an adequate level and many of these homes are now simply falling apart.

"Everyone deserves safe and secure housing, and it has got to be safe from a security point of view and from a health point of view," Ms Harrison said.

Ms Harrison suggested annual inspections as a way for the government to stay on top of maintenance.

"We need inspections that create maintenance requests not to just tick boxes," Ms Harrison said.

Source: Outlook planning and development.

Grants to Help Multicultural Events Get Up and Running in the Hunter

BY DAKOTA TAIT

Community organisations across the Hunter are being encouraged to apply to a new funding program to help get multicultural projects off the ground.

Grants of up to $10,000 are available for individual events, and up to $40,000 to get bigger projects up and running as part of the Multicultural NSW Community Support Grants Program.

Eligible projects include English-language classes, migrant support groups, and art and sport programs, as well as multicultural and interfaith events.

Hunter Multicultural Centre CEO Annette Gebhardt says the funding would allow the fostering of greater levels of community engagement.

"It can be events that build stronger social cohesion, it can be programs that build greater levels of awareness and understanding. 

"Basically its about creating a sense of belonging regardless of peoples background, race, gender, religion, age and status," Ms Annette Gebhardt said.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Taylor Martin says he would like to see the funding go to some of the outstanding organisations and volunteers in the Hunter region.

Applications can be made until 5pm on Thursday 20th May at https://multicultural.nsw.gov.au/.