Category: Newcastle News

A critical incident investigation is underway following a house fire in Lake Macquarie last night.

About 6.30pm (Friday 5 November 2021), officers from Lake Macquarie Police District responded to reports of a house fire on Park Avenue, Argenton.

On arrival, police attempted to speak to a male occupant in the home. The man confronted police with a knife and retreated into the house, which was alight.

Police assisted the man from the home a short time later and commenced CPR, before NSW Ambulance paramedics arrived and assisted the man at the scene.

He has been taken to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.

NSW Fire & Rescue officers extinguished the blaze a short time later.

A crime scene has been established and will be examined by forensic officers.

A critical incident team has been formed and has established Strike Force Janet to investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident.

That investigation will be subject to an independent review.

No further details are available at this time.

Two men have been charged over their alleged involvement in a fatal shooting in Port Stephens in August this year.
About 1.45pm on Sunday 29 August 2021, emergency services were called to Hideaway Drive, Salt Ash, following reports a white Ford Ranger utility had hit a tree.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended along with NSW Ambulance paramedics and located a male driver suffering a fatal gunshot wound.
He was later identified as 45-year-old David King.
A short time later, officers located a burnt-out white Santa Fe located on Masonite Road, Heatherbrae, which police believe is allegedly linked to the shooting.
Detectives established Strike Force Breve to investigate the incident, with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad.
Following investigations, about 11.30am yesterday (Friday 5 November 2021), police stopped a vehicle travelling along Wahroonga Street, Raymond Terrace.
The driver – a 27-year-old man – was arrested and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station.
He was charged with murder, take/detain person in company with intent to obtain advantage, damage property by fire and possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit.
About 1.45pm (Friday 5 November 2021), police attended a shopping centre on Pearson Street, Charlestown, and arrested a 39-year-old man.
He was taken to Waratah Police Station, where he was charged with accessory after the fact to murder and accessory after the fact to kidnapping.
Both men were refused bail and will appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Saturday 6 November 2021).
Strike Force Breve investigations continue.

Local arts, cultural, and tourism businesses are set to benefit from the opening of a multi-arts activation lead by the Hunter Writers Centre, funded by City of Newcastle in response to COVID-19’s impact on the Newcastle economy.
Nobbys-Whibayganba headland cottages will provide studio and exhibition spaces for Indigenous and non-Indigenous writers, musicians, visual and digital artists on weekdays, and host exhibitions and events on weekends.
With COVID-19 significantly impacting the arts, cultural and creative industries, the Lighthouse Arts project was identified as critical to Newcastle’s post COVID-19 recovery by the City Taskforce, in support of community wellbeing, social and cultural connectedness.
This unique space for artistic collaboration also celebrates one of the city’s historically significant Indigenous, wartime and maritime sites, Nobbys-Whibayganba, and features an arts trading store showcasing the creative communities of Newcastle, in a bid to increase tourism visitation.
The Industry Response Package is a component of City of Newcastle’s adopted $5.5 million COVID-19 Community and Economic Resilience Package, to provide direct support to the industries hit hardest by the pandemic.
To find out more, visit Lighthouse Arts

Detectives have released further vision and continue to appeal for public assistance following a fatal shooting in Port Stephens earlier this year.
About 1.45pm on Sunday 29 August 2021, emergency services were called to Hideaway Drive, Salt Ash, following reports a white Ford Ranger utility had hit a tree.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended along with NSW Ambulance paramedics and located a male driver suffering a fatal gunshot wound.
He was later identified as 45-year-old David King.
A short time later, officers located a burnt-out white Santa Fe located on Masonite Road, Heatherbrae, which police believe is linked to the shooting.
Detectives established Strike Force Breve to investigate the incident, with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad.
As part of extensive investigations, strike force detectives have released vision of two vehicles driving in a convoy in the vicinity of Mount Hall Road, Raymond Terrace, shortly after the incident.
 

Two people have been charged following a pursuit through the state’s Hunter region yesterday.
About 8.50am on Monday (1 November 2021), officers attached to Traffic & Highway Patrol Command and Hunter Valley Police District were patrolling along the New England Highway, Ravensworth, when they were alerted of an unregistered Ford Fiesta travelling north.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle at a safe location along the highway; however, the driver allegedly failed to stop and a pursuit commenced north along the highway.
The pursuit continued to the Muswellbrook township until the Ford stopped on William Street, Muswellbrook and the driver – a 29-year-old man – exited the vehicle and was arrested by police.
The front passenger of the vehicle – an 18-year-old woman – also left the vehicle and approached police. A police officer attempted to arrest the woman when she allegedly assaulted the senior constable.
Police checks revealed the man’s driver’s licence was suspended until 2024.
A search of the vehicle resulted in police allegedly locating and seizing two bags of cannabis.
The pair was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station and the man was subjected to a breath test analysis which allegedly returned a reading of 0.035.
The man was charged with police pursuit, not have interlock fitted, unregistered/uninsured vehicle, special range PCA, drive whilst disqualified and contravene AVO.
He was refused bail and appeared at Muswellbrook Local Court yesterday (1 November 2021).
The woman was charged with two counts of possess prohibited drug, assault police, resist arrest, fail to disclose particulars and offensive language.
She was granted conditional bail to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court on 20 December 2021.

Detectives have released vision as part of an ongoing appeal for public assistance following a fatal shooting in Port Stephens.
About 1.45pm on Sunday 29 August 2021, emergency services were called to Hideaway Drive, Salt Ash, following reports a white Ford Ranger utility had hit a tree.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended along with NSW Ambulance paramedics and located a male driver suffering a fatal gunshot wound.
He was later identified as 45-year-old David King.
A short time later, officers located a burnt-out white Santa Fe located on Masonite Road, Heatherbrae, which police believe is linked to the shooting.
Detectives established Strike Force Breve to investigate the incident, with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad.
As part of investigations, strike force detectives have released vision of a man who was near the crime scene in Heatherbrae and may have information that could assist police with their inquiries. It is not believed this man is linked to the death of David King.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

With months of lockdown causing a massive shortfall in blood and plasma donations, City of Newcastle staff and Councillors have volunteered their time (and arms) to help raise awareness of the urgent need to give blood.
City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said staff jumped at the chance to help get the message out to increase donations.
“At least 2,300 donations are needed each month just in Newcastle to meet the current demand to assist cancer patients and to get people through other serious health challenges in their lives,” Mr Bath said.
“City of Newcastle considers the situation to be so serious that we are encouraging our staff, several times each year, to travel to the Australian Red Cross at Broadmeadow during work time to donate blood.
“This year, City of Newcastle’s Lifeblood team have made 137 donations, meaning 411 lives have been saved, but this number is lower than previous years due to COVID-19 restrictions.”
City of Newcastle Senior Project Officer Tania Antony co-ordinates City of Newcastle’s Lifeblood team said her personal journey drives her to encourage others to donate blood.
“For me, my brother suffered from aplastic anaemia. On two occasions in his life, he needed three platelet transfusions and one whole blood transfusion each week, just to survive until transplant time. He literally came alive after each transfusion,” Ms Antony said.
“I am so appreciative of those strangers who gave their blood to save my brother’s life. Before that, I was just a casual donor, now I do whatever I can to drive donations.
“I encourage more organisations and businesses to band their employees together to form a Lifeblood team.”
The Australian Red Cross Lifeblood Manager Brian Bruce said a lift in donations in Newcastle is urgently needed, and the community are encouraged to come forward to donate as restrictions ease across the city.
“Newcastle is in particular need of O negative blood and plasma donations with supply at a ten-year low due to the pandemic,” Mr Bruce said.
“Collectively, Lifeblood teams in Newcastle have helped save 17,800 lives so far in 2021. More than a third of our blood supply locally comes from groups donating together from local business, sporting, and community groups.
“Thank you to City of Newcastle’s Lifeblood team for setting a great example by helping us to raise awareness and get the message out to the community to come and donate blood as restrictions ease and feel great knowing they are saving lives.”

The deep-rooted tradition of activism through art is being put in the spotlight by a new exhibition at Newcastle Art Gallery.
The Art of Protest will explore how artists use their work to highlight injustices and challenge perceptions.

From a political parody inspired by a pop music hit to works that make statements about climate change, asylum seekers or feminism, the exhibition examines a cross section of serious issues.
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said the exhibition will feature works from the Gallery’s own collection alongside key works loaned from politically engaged artists who have been mixing art and activism throughout their careers.
“Newcastle Art Gallery has a reputation for delivering thought-provoking exhibitions that engage, educate and challenge audiences in many different ways,” Ms Morton said.
“From community activism to global social movements, The Art of Protest features past and present works from local, national and international artists who are responding to disaster and injustice and calling for change.”
The expansive exhibition showcases a variety of different artistic mediums including paintings, photography, linocut, sculpture, video and mixed media, which explore everything from worker’s rights and HIV/AIDS awareness, to war, humanitarianism, colonialism, the Stolen Generation, animal welfare and LGBTQI rights.
“Artists have always played a pivotal role as a voice of protest, from the early modernists and social realists tackling worker’s rights in the 1940s, to poster art of the 1970s, through to the current issues of the day including women’s rights, environmental policy, compassion for all Australians and the preservation of local heritage,” Ms Morton said.
“Recent works of art on display respond to events of the past few tumultuous years including the COVID-19 pandemic and the urgent need for climate action.
“The apocalyptic bushfires of 2020 were the tragic inspiration for a number of works by local artist Fiona Lee, whose family home near Taree was destroyed during the blaze. She utilised materials recovered from the ruins to create works that highlight and protest against the government’s inaction on climate change.”
The Art of Protest will open on 30 October and remain on display at Newcastle Art Gallery until 30 January 2022. A free online talk on 4 November will feature artists Fiona Lee, Dani Marti and Anne Zahalka as they discuss the processes used to create their works on display in this exhibition.

Applications are being invited for a new scholarship established to honour the memory of Newcastle businesswoman Meg Purser.
Undergraduate students completing the second year of their Communications degree at the University of Newcastle can apply for the $5000 scholarship, with the inaugural recipient to be named in April next year.
Meg Purser was a successful communications professional who is remembered for her charitable and behind-the-scenes work for organisations such as the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service, Hunter Breast Screen and Got Your Back Sista.
She invested considerable time in mentoring young people and worked tirelessly to make a positive contribution to the city until her passing in January this year following an 18-month battle with breast cancer.
City of Newcastle established the scholarship with the blessing of Meg’s father Bob, to honour the significant contribution Meg made to the corporate communications community and recognise her passion for the many local community organisations and charities she supported.
The scholarship provides key financial support for high performing Communications students who share Meg’s values and community-focused qualities. A new recipient will be selected each year, with the initial agreement funding the scholarship for the next three years.
Applications will close on 28 February 2022. Visit the University of Newcastle website for more details.
City of Newcastle offers several other scholarships through the University of Newcastle, including the Lord Mayor’s Scholarship and the Lord Mayor’s Scholarship for Women, which aim to support students studying an undergraduate degree who are experiencing financial hardship.