Category: Newcastle News

City of Newcastle welcomed more than 220 new Australian citizens from 51 countries today in what was the city’s largest face-to-face Citizenship Ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the Democratic Republic of Congo to Azerbaijan and the Ukraine, Newcastle’s newest citizens, their families and friends joined with dignitaries to make the pledge of commitment to Australia at the iconic Civic Theatre.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle is a diverse and inclusive community that embraced new citizens from all cultures and religious backgrounds.

“Newcastle has a long and proud history as a progressive, welcoming city in which 14 per cent of residents were born overseas and 134 different languages other than English are spoken at home,” Cr Nelmes said.

“It is an honour to welcome our city’s largest cohort of new citizens face-to-face since before the start of the pandemic and wish them well on their journey to a bright new beginning.

“City of Newcastle has gained more than 160 new Australian citizens this year, and today’s cohort takes that tally to more than 380. Our new citizens are now able to enrol to vote in elections, exercising their democratic rights, apply for an Australian passport and seek broader employment opportunities.”

Among those taking the pledge today was Olha Hoshko from the Ukraine, who settled in Stockton in 2016 after meeting her Novocastrian-born husband and has since gone on to receive her Certificate III in Childcare.

“This is a happy yet sad time for me as I lost my mother in the Ukraine last year and my family are unable to travel due to the war to be here to celebrate with me today,” Mrs Hoshko said.

“I love Newcastle. I’ve visited Sydney and Melbourne and only wanted to move to Newcastle as it’s a smaller city and reminds me of home, Lviv, in western Ukraine.

“I’ve also recently started working for the NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) on a helpline called Witness to War as a Ukrainian bi-cultural support worker.”

Today’s ceremony featured a traditional didgeridoo performance by the Deadly Callaghan Yidaki Group, as well as musical items by The Grainery Church.

Proud Newcastle Aboriginal Elder Aunty Cheryl Smith continued the tradition of her father, the late Uncle Bill Smith, in delivering a Welcome to Country that acknowledged the lifestyles, cultures and spiritual beliefs of the traditional custodians of the land.

City of Newcastle’s next citizenship ceremony will be held in January 2023 at the Civic Theatre.

Police will speak with the media following the death of a man after a shooting in Newcastle overnight.

About 11pm (Tuesday 6 September 2022), emergency services were called to a unit on Fowler Street, Hamilton South, after reports of a shooting.

Upon arrival, police located a 57-year-old man at the front door of a premises suffering a gunshot wound.

The man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, however, he died at the scene.

Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District established a crime scene and have commenced Strike Force Alcheringa to investigate the circumstances surrounding the man’s death.

Initial inquiries suggest this is a targeted incident.

A woman missing from the Lower Hunter Valley area has been found safe and well.

The 41-year-old was last seen in the Maitland area in late August 2022. 

Officers from Brisbane Water Police District were notified of her disappearance by family members on Sunday 4 September 2022, after they were unable to contact her. 

Following inquiries, the woman was found safe and well at Darling Harbour about 4pm yesterday (Monday 5 September 2022).

Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal.

City of Newcastle is inviting school students to share their visions for a circular economy as part of an art competition launched today to promote sustainability and resource recovery.

The winning entries will be showcased on two waste collection trucks and numerous public bins across the city, with the art competition designed to encourage conversations around repairing, recycling and reusing resources.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the community will soon be given the opportunity to have their say on City of Newcastle’s own vision for resource recovery, with Councillors to vote this month on placing the draft Our Sustainable Waste Strategy on public exhibition.

“With the Summerhill Waste Management Centre at its heart, Our Sustainable Waste Strategy will provide a model of best practice for waste, recycling and resource recovery while also playing a key role in the region’s ability to address future NSW and Federal government targets,” Cr Nelmes said.

“The draft Strategy focusses on increased diversion and circular economy, envisaging a modernised Summerhill that will become a regional hub in resource recovery to maximise the value of material in residents’ yellow and green bins and decrease what ends up in landfill via their red bins.

“To reduce our impact on the planet, and get more value from limited resources, we need to shift to a circular economy where we return, reuse, repair and recycle to create minimal waste, save water and energy and keep those materials circulating for even longer.

“This school-based art competition is a fantastic way to engage the next generation in these important conversations while also encouraging broader community-wide feedback on Our Sustainable Waste Strategy.”

The competition is open to all schools within the Newcastle Local Government Area, with one primary and one secondary school winner to be awarded an iPad Mini and Apple Pencil each for their creative efforts.

All schools represented in the competition will also be in the running to win a workshop from GoCircular, which will assist the school to become more sustainable by joining the circular economy.

The competition closes on 23 September, with the two winners to be announced later this month.

For more details visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/ClosetheLoop

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a woman missing from the Lower Hunter Valley area.

Stephanie Norrman (also known as Stephanie MacPherson), aged 41, was last seen in the Maitland area in late August 2022. 

Officers from Brisbane Water Police District were notified of her disappearance by family members yesterday (Sunday 4 September 2022), after they were unable to contact her.

Inquiries have since established that Stephanie spoke with a friend by phone on Wednesday 31 August 2022 and may have been in the Terrigal area at the time.

Police and family hold serious concerns for her welfare as she lives with a number of health conditions.

Stephanie is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 160cm tall and of a thin build, and has sandy brown long coloured hair.

It is not known what she was last wearing.

She maybe driving a silver Hyundai i40 sedan bearing registration BU18VL or a black Holden Barina hatchback bearing registration CU28SX

Stephanie is known to frequent the Maitland, Terrigal and Wyong areas.

Anyone with information about Stephanie’s whereabouts is urged to contact Gosford Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Merewether, New Lambton and Mayfield are Newcastle’s top three suburbs when it comes to renovations according to City of Newcastle.

$1.85 billion in new development was assessed by City of Newcastle (CN) during the last 12 months with more than 1,650 development applications (DAs) determined, in addition to state significant developments, which is up 25 per cent from just two years ago.

Homeowners in Merewether, Mayfield and New Lambton are improving their properties with residential alterations and additions, whilst Adamstown ($92.04 million) and Merewether ($61.78 million) lead the way in terms of the highest value DAs approved, including projects like the Merewether Golf Club seniors living redevelopment estimated at $76 million.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says development in Newcastle is showing no signs of losing momentum despite challenging market conditions.

“Significant levels of residential and commercial development continue to unfold right across our city, which is great news for the local economy, construction industry, and the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Newcastle continues to be a hot spot when it comes to homeowners injecting cash into bricks and mortar, despite climbing inflation levels, stagnant wage growth, tighter borrowing conditions, and material and labour shortages.”

City of Newcastle Manager Regulatory, Planning and Assessment Michelle Bisson said Newcastle is growing in popularity as an attractive gateway city to live, work and play, which is driving the development boom.

“Through multiple market cycles, Newcastle is considered a steady growth area to invest in, with ongoing revitalisation transforming the city and making Newcastle a highly desirable location to both homeowners as well as developers and investors,” Ms Bisson said.

“Migration growth in Newcastle has increased seven per cent year-on-year since the start of the pandemic, with more people relocating from Sydney and Melbourne than ever before, and at a faster rate than almost anywhere else in Australia, driving development across the city.

“With millennials making up the vast majority of those relocating to Newcastle, the demand for residential housing remains strong with prices still cheaper than major Australian capital cities.

“The second half of 2022 is tracking just as strongly with some significant developments in the pipeline.”

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted in the Lake Macquarie area.

Bailey Wallis-Ahearn, aged 22, is wanted on a number of outstanding arrest warrants.

Officers from State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad have conducted numerous inquiries into his whereabouts but have been unable to locate him.

He is known to frequent Toronto and the surrounding areas of Lake Macquarie.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 165cm to 175cm tall, of thin build, with brown hair possibly with a beard and moustache.

If sighted, members of the public are urged to contact local police immediately, otherwise information about his whereabouts can be provided to Crime Stoppers.

Police are appealing for public assistance following a jewellery store robbery in the state’s Hunter Region last month.

Just before 9.30am on Wednesday 6 July 2022, officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called to a shopping centre on Molly Morgan Drive, East Maitland, following reports of a robbery at a jewellery store.

On arrival, police were told a male approached the store and used a Toolpro multi tool emergency hammer to smash the glass of a jewellery cabinet, before fleeing the scene with three items worth approximately $107,000. 

A crime scene was established, and initial inquiries were conducted by local police, before detectives attached to the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad took carriage of the matter under Strike Force Malwood.

As the investigation continues, detectives have released CCTV and an image of a male who may be able to assist with their inquiries.

He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 167cm tall, wearing a black hooded jumper, black tracksuit pants, black balaclava, black gloves and white coloured Nike TN’s.

It is believed he was travelling on a red coloured trail bike with “#51” sticker on the left side of the bike.

Two people have been charged following a joint investigation by detectives from the Robbery and Serious Crime Squad and Lake Macquarie Police District into an alleged home invasion and public place shooting in Lake Macquarie earlier this year.

Police had been told a 24-year-old woman attended John Hunter Hospital about 11pm on Tuesday 8 March 2022 suffering a laceration to her leg and head, after two men allegedly forced entry to her home in Edgeworth and slashed her with a machete.

Local police later attended the Laurel Avenue home and commenced inquiries, which were later taken carriage by detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad.

Then about 9.10pm on Friday 8 April 2022, emergency services responded to reports of a public place shooting at a carpark on Arnott Street, Edgeworth. 

A 27-year-old man was found suffering gunshot wounds to the right leg and was taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment.

Detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District commenced investigations into the shooting under Strike Force Undola.

Initial investigations led detectives to believe the incidents were linked and allegedly involved members of the Nomads Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.

As part of ongoing joint investigations, strike force detectives have previously executed a search warrant at a Cardiff storage facility earlier this month, where a number of weapons, ammunition and a machete were located and seized.

Police also seized a number of items consistent with the Nomads Outlaw Motorcycle Gang during a subsequent vehicle stop conducted at Blackalls Park that same day.

Following further extensive joint inquiries, strike force detectives executed a search warrant at a home at Blackalls Park about 10.10am on Monday (29 August 2022).

A number of items relevant to the investigation were seized, including mobile phones and documents.

A 42-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Toronto Police Station, where she was charged with 12 offences, including special aggravated break and enter commit serious indictable offence, accessory after the fact of discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm, conceal serious indictable offence, possess unauthorised prohibited firearm, possess unauthorised pistol, possess unauthorised firearm, possess ammunition without holding licence, participate criminal group contribute criminal activity, act with intent to influence witness, and threat/cause injury/harm to prevent information to police.

She was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court yesterday (Tuesday 30 August 2022), where she was formally bail refused to appear at Toronto Local Court on Tuesday 25 October 2022.

A further two search warrant was executed at a home on Crestview Street, Gillieston Heights, about 7am yesterday (Tuesday 30 August 2022).

A 27-year-old man was arrested at one of the homes and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station.

He was charged with knowingly direct activities of criminal group, accessory after the fact of special aggravated break and enter commit serious indictable offence, discharge firearm intend cause grievous bodily harm, steal property in dwelling, and threat/cause injury/harm to prevent information to police.

He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court yesterday, where he was formally bail refused to reappear at Maitland Local Court today (Wednesday 31 August 2022).

Investigations under both strike forces are ongoing, with further arrests expected.