Category: Newcastle News

A teenage boy missing from the Hunter has been located safe and well.
The 16-year-old was last seen leaving his home in East Maitland yesterday (Tuesday 14 December 2021).
When the boy did not return home, officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were alerted and began an investigation.
Following inquiries and multiple calls from members of the public to Crime Stoppers, about 9.45pm today (Wednesday 15 December 2021), the boy was located safe and well at Broadmeadow Railway Station.
Police would like to thank the public and media for their assistance.

Two men and a woman have been charged with almost 250 drug-related offences following extensive investigations into the alleged supply of prohibited drugs in the Lake Macquarie region.
In September this year, Strike Force Coifs was established by Lake Macquarie Police District detectives to investigate the ongoing supply of prohibited drugs in the Windale area.
Following investigations, about 10.20am yesterday (Wednesday 15 December 2021), search warrants were executed by officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District at two homes on Willandra Crescent and Lachlan Street, Windale.
A number of items were located during the search warrants, including methamphetamine, cash and
electronic stun devices. All items have been seized for forensic examination.
Two men and a woman were arrested and taken to Belmont Police Station.
A 59-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman were each charged with 49 offences including supply prohibited drug large commercial quantity, ongoing supply of prohibited drug and deal with the proceeds of crime.
A 63-year-old man was charged with 156 offences including supply prohibited drug large commercial quantity, ongoing supply of prohibited drug, possess or use a prohibited weapon, and deal with the proceeds of crime.
All three were refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 16 December 2021).
Investigations under Strike Force Coifs continue.

Homicide Squad detectives have charged a fourth person as investigations continue into the fatal shooting of a man at Newcastle earlier this year.
About 12.45pm on Thursday 22 July 2021, emergency services were called to a unit at Darby Street, Cooks Hill, following reports of shots fired.
Upon arrival, police located a 40-year-old man inside the unit with a gunshot wound to the chest.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, he died at the scene.
The man has been formally identified as Wesley ‘Wes’ Prentice from Rutherford.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District commenced inquiries, before detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad took carriage of the investigation under Strike Force Hibbard.
So far during the investigation, strike force detectives have charged three people – two men and a woman – over their alleged roles in the incident. They remain before the courts.
Following further investigations, police stopped and arrested a 35-year-old woman at Maude Street, Belmont, about 9.15am yesterday (Tuesday 14 December 2021).
She was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with accessory after the fact to murder.
The Charlestown woman was refused bail and is due to appear at Belmont Local Court via AVL today (Wednesday 15 December 2021).
Inquiries under Strike Force Hibbard are continuing.

A man has died after he was pulled from the water near Newcastle this afternoon.
About 2.30pm (Tuesday 14 December 2021), emergency services were called to Burwood Beach, Merewether, following reports a man and woman were in trouble in the water.
The 25-year-old woman made it to shore uninjured.
The 25-year-old man was sighted by a paraglider who landed and assisted the man to a rock ledge.
CPR was commenced on the swimmer prior to the arrival of emergency services. Despite their efforts, he died at the scene.
The paraglider sustained a serious injury to his knee.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District attended and will prepare a report for the information of the Coroner.
Police were assisted by members of the public and Surf Lifesaving NSW during the incident.

A man has been charged following an investigation into an alleged sexual assault in Newcastle last week.
About 11.30pm last Friday (10 December 2021), a 23-year-old woman was walking to her car on Maitland Road, Islington, when a man approached her from behind.
Police will allege in court the man sexually assaulted the woman before a passer-by intervened and chased him onto Maitland Road, Beaumont Street and Fern Street.
Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District were notified and commenced an investigation into the incident.
Following inquiries, police arrested a 47-year-old man at a workplace at Sandgate about 8am today (Monday 13 December 2021).
He was taken to Newcastle Police Station and charged with aggravated sex assault inflict actual bodily harm on victim.
The Windale man was refused bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 14 December 2021).

Iconic artworks from Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection will provide interactive night-time attractions to liven up underutilised public spaces across the city.
The works will be displayed on 15 illuminated light boxes, which also include interactive elements and an augmented reality feature to provide information about the art.
The first set of five light boxes are now operational in Kuwami Place on Hunter Street, with additional installations to be delivered at Market Street and in Pacific Park early next year.
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said local talent, innovation and creativity is behind City of Newcastle’s Night Spaces Project, which will enhance local public spaces at night for the betterment of the community.
“The purpose-built interactive light boxes are an innovative solution to activating underutilised spaces throughout our city at night,” Cr Clausen said.
“Utilising cutting-edge interactive smart city technology, City of Newcastle partnered with the University of Newcastle and a local industrial design business to create these bespoke light boxes, which offer a new way for the community to interact with Newcastle Art Gallery’s nationally significant collection while also helping to illuminate and attract people to these locations at night.”
The light boxes have been built locally using durable sustainable products and are solar powered, with an internal battery to illuminate the artworks and drive the sensor-based lighting features. Augmented reality displays designed for each artwork adds a further layer of digital interactivity. The light boxes are designed to be relocatable for use at other sites or major events.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said the light boxes will share the Gallery’s vast collection with new audiences, with different displays curated for each location.
“The works of art selected for Kuwami Place, for example, explore the genre of portraiture from the Gallery’s collection,” Ms Morton said.
“Iconic images include Portrait of a Strapper by William Dobell, portraits of Margaret Olley in her Church Street terrace and Rupert Bunny’s emotive portrait of muse and wife Jeanne.
“Some works make a comment on social issues to engage those interacting with the light boxes, whilst other works depict a simple interaction between the artist and the subject in the picture.”
The Night Spaces Project has been jointly funded by City of Newcastle and the Department of Communities and Justice, as part of the NSW Government’s Community Safety Fund.

Police are investigating following a two-vehicle fatal crash in the Hunter region today.
About 10am (Saturday 11 December 2021), emergency services were called to the Golden Highway at Wyoming Road, Cassilis – about 30km south west of Merriwa – following reports a Hyundai SUV travelling west and a Toyota Landcruiser travelling east had collided.
NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the female driver and sole occupant of the Hyundai, but she died at the scene.
The driver and sole occupant of the Landcruiser, a 63-year-old man, has been airlifted to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
Officers attached to Hunter Valley Police District attended and established a crime scene, which will be forensically examined.
As inquiries into the incident continue, police are appealing for anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

The Local Government elections may be over, but there’s another ballot looming for Novocastrians this month when the latest exhibition opens at Newcastle Museum.
Visitors will be asked to cast their vote for the most compelling candidates as part of the Great Baby Dinosaur Show, a paleontological peek back in time presented in the tradition of an agricultural show.

The ticketed, family-friendly exhibition showcases a range of animatronic dinosaurs including pterosaurs, triceratops and velociraptors, which Newcastle Cr Carol Duncan said will deliver a much-needed dose of fun and frivolity this summer.
“Visitors will be able to immerse themselves in the experience of the Great Baby Dinosaur Show, hearing the life-like dinosaurs roar and watching them move while carefully considering their vote for the ‘Best in Show’,” Cr Duncan said.
“The Museum’s staff have had fun preparing for this exhibition and taking on the role of judges for this giant baby competition, awarding ribbons for everything from the ‘Best Roar’ and ‘Coolest Spikes’ to the ‘Most Colourful Scales’, but now we need your help to decide who will take out the top prize, with the winner to be announced when the show finishes up on 12 March, 2022.”

Newcastle Museum Director Julie Baird said the Museum was excited to put this special dinosaur show together for the summer school holiday period.
“Dinosaur-themed exhibitions are always very popular with the community, and especially our younger residents, which is why our Museum staff were excited to be involved in curating this show,” Ms Baird said.
“While they’re here, visitors can also check out our other summer exhibition, Oh yeah, I forgot about that: A decade of change seen through the eyes of Mr Trevor Dickinson, Artist, which features more than 20 works by the much-loved Newcastle artist.”
The Great Baby Dinosaur Show opens to the public on 11 December 2021 and will remain on show until 12 March 2022, with tickets available now via the Newcastle Museum website.
A range of dinosaur products made by local producers are also on sale at the Visitor Information Centre so families can take home their own locally-generated souvenir of the exhibition.

A café and community facility at Newcastle’s favourite nature reserve and an improved cycling link between the University of Newcastle and the city centre have received almost $1.2 million from the NSW Government.
Close to $900,000 has been allocated for a new community facility for Blackbutt Reserve, with City of Newcastle committed to funding an adjoining café. An additional $300,000 has been provided for the installation of traffic signals on Maud Street in Waratah, as part of the broader University to City Centre cycleway project.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes welcomed the Resources for Regions funding for these important projects, which will provide a range of benefits for the community.
“This week’s funding announcement will enable City of Newcastle to continue to deliver improvements at our city’s much-loved Blackbutt Reserve, through the construction of a purpose-built café and community facility,” Cr Nelmes said.
“As the green heart of our city, Blackbutt Reserve welcomes countless locals and visitors each year who take advantage of the picturesque walking trails, unique wildlife exhibits and family-friendly playgrounds.
“The café and community facility, which are currently in initial planning stages and will come to fruition within the next few years, will further enhance the visitor experience and complement the existing native animal exhibits and recreation areas.
“The ground floor café will include visitor information, indoor and outdoor dining areas, with the potential to be commercially leased. A new multi-function community education space will sit above the café with the capability to deliver environmental education and small events.
“The new building will be designed to suit the unique environment at Blackbutt’s Carnley Avenue Reserve and will replace the existing kiosk, which was installed as a temporary facility.
“When I was first elected to represent Ward 3 in 2008, there was a proposal to remove the staff, animals and animal shelters from Blackbutt Reserve, and to subdivide and sell off land around the Reserve for residential development. These proposals reflected the poor financial position of the Council at the time.
“Working with the Blackbutt Support Group and local community, I fought against these proposals, which were ultimately overturned. Together with the community, I led the development of a Masterplan that prioritised funding of $9 million over 10 years.
“As Lord Mayor, I’ve ensured the City’s financial sustainability to allow us to continue to provide great public services like Blackbutt. I made sure that Blackbutt had the Priority Project status it deserved and have focused the City’s resources to continue to improve and upgrade Blackbutt with new playgrounds at both Carnley Avenue and Richley Reserve, new boardwalks, a new animal arena, new amenities and disability access. Now we will add a cafe and community facility.”
Cr Nelmes said the University to City Centre cycleway project will improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists travelling between the University of Newcastle’s Callaghan Campus and the city, on a key route identified under the City’s Cycling Plan.
“We’ve also secured funding for new traffic signals to be installed on Maud Street, which will significantly improve safety and enhance connection from the suburbs through to the city,” Cr Nelmes said.
“City of Newcastle is committed to ensuring Newcastle is a cycling and pedestrian-friendly city, and the University to City Centre cycleway will provide another crucial link in our cycleway network.”
The two City of Newcastle projects are among 15 projects to share in $5.6 million in funding under round eight of the Resources for Regions program, which aims to support mining-impacted communities in regional NSW by providing economic opportunities, improved amenity and positive social outcomes.

An ongoing program of sand nourishment will be the best way to provide a buffer for the coastline and beach amenity at Stockton according to a City of Newcastle evaluation, which considered a range of options for long term coastal management.
City of Newcastle presented the outcomes of the Evaluation Report to the Stockton Community Liaison Group at a community meeting in Stockton this morning, finding that following an initial mass sand nourishment effort, regular top ups will be more cost effective and efficient than structures like an artificial headland.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the evaluation process was extensive and considered performance, environmental and social factors and included a cost benefit analysis.
“Four feasible coastal management options including an artificial reef, an artificial headland, sand back passing, and maintenance sand nourishment were assessed, and mass sand nourishment supported by annual sand nourishment top ups is considered the best solution for Stockton,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The evaluation appraisal included both economic and non-economic factors to determine which scheme would best support our vision to provide an erosion buffer to Stockton, return recreational beach amenity and the sense of identity that the beach provides to the local community.
“The process included a cost-benefit analysis that demonstrated that the greatest economic value resulting from the proposed coastal management scheme is the value of improved beach amenity, which is a value that extends beyond Stockton residents to the people of Newcastle and NSW.”
With several NSW Government Agencies owning land along the northern section of the Stockton coastline, City of Newcastle is continuing to work with these stakeholders to ensure the proposed solution meets their needs.
“Support from affected agency landholders is critical to the successful implementation of the preferred solution as well as a mandatory requirement of the Coastal Management Act 2016,” Cr Nelmes said.
The community had input into the evaluation of the schemes via a survey completed earlier this year and Chair of the Stockton Community Liaison Group, Barbara Whitcher, said she believes there is broad support for ongoing sand nourishment at Stockton Beach.
“This information confirms the need for sand to be continually replenished on Stockton Beach, which we’ve known for some time, but it also prioritises this scheme over other options like an artificial headland or artificial reef to provide the buffer our coastline needs,” Ms Whitcher said.
“Some people in the community would have preferred an artificial reef or artificial headland. However, the economic benefit analysis confirms that sand nourishment is the most cost-effective scheme and is less intrusive on the environment.
“Now we want to see the preferred sand nourishment management scheme implemented as soon as possible.”
City of Newcastle consultants also presented the Community Liaison Group with results of a Coastal Inundation Report, which identifies and maps the present and future coastal inundation hazard at Stockton from tides, surge and dynamic, wave-driven water levels that lead to over wash and overtopping of coastal barriers.
The findings further highlight the need to implement the mass sand nourishment strategy, outlined in the Stockton Coastal Management Program 2020, which will mitigate this risk within the medium term.
City of Newcastle’s next step is to progress discussions about funding the coastal management scheme with the State Government, which established the Deputy Premier’s Stockton Beach Taskforce to provide advice and recommendations on issues including sand sourcing and to seek priority capital and operational funding.
In addition to managing the Stockton coastline, the newly formed Newcastle Coastal Management Working Group will consider coastal management of the entire 14 kilometres of coastline in the Newcastle local government area as well as the Hunter Estuary as Coastal Management Programs for these areas are developed in 2022-23.
Work completed by City of Newcastle over the past 12-18 months to progress coastal management at Stockton since the certification of the Stockton Coastal Management Program includes:

• Sand Movement Study
• Coastal Inundation Assessment
• Love Our Coast Community Survey – capturing beach visitation data
• Feasibility Assessment into coastal management options for the Extended CMP area
• Workshops on the four complementary management scheme options with Stockton Community Liaison Group, NSW Government Agencies, Worimi and a month-long community survey capturing broad community feedback on the four options
• Evaluation Report drafted
• Grant Applications – harbour investigations and to support the development of the extended CMP
• Investigation of harbour-based sand sources commenced
• Consultation with Port of Newcastle and relevant government agencies to confirm Stockton as the primary beneficial reuse location of suitable sand within the renewal of the Sea Dumping Permit for maintenance dredging within the harbour
• Review of Offshore Sand Assessment Report
• Advice on planning pathway offshore sand extraction and placement
• Formed and held first meeting of the Newcastle Coastal Management Working Group
• Ongoing implementation of the CMP 2020 actions including rockbags, dune works, sand scraping and renewal of accessways.