Category: Newcastle News

Newcastle City police have suspended a search for a surfer reported to have been in difficulties off Newcastle Beach overnight.
About 6.20pm yesterday (Wednesday 30 September 2020), emergency services responded to reports a surfer appeared to be struggling in the water at Newcastle Beach.
The female witness told police that she saw what she believed was a surfer having some difficulties during choppy surf conditions about 100m offshore.
Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District conducted a search of the beach and water, with the assistance of a rescue helicopter, Police Rescue and NSW Ambulance.
The search continued this morning (Thursday 1 October 2020) – with the assistance of the Marine Area Command and NSW Surf Lifesaving – with nothing adverse located.
As no missing persons have been reported in the area, the search has been suspended.
Police would like to thank the media and the public for their assistance.

A man has been charged after a suspicious item was located in the Hunter yesterday.
About 1.40pm (Wednesday 30 September 2020), officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called to a defence facility at Williamtown after a suspicious item was located.
An exclusion zone was established and with the assistance of specialist resources, the scene was declared safe about 4pm.
Officers launched an investigation into the incident and following extensive inquiries, a 60-year-old man was arrested at a Lake Macquarie home later that afternoon.
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with leave/send substance/article create false belief of danger.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 19 October 2020.
Investigations are ongoing.

Fifteen local businesses will learn how to create new or expanded tourism offerings as part of a City of Newcastle program designed to grow the visitor economy.
The Product Development Mentoring Program is connecting local operators with professional mentors, who will teach them how to develop, promote and sell their tourism products and experiences to a wider market.
The initiative forms part of the City’s commitment to helping the local tourism industry survive and recover from the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the quality of the applicants and the diversity of their offerings would start to fill the gap of bookable tourism products on offer in Newcastle, while also aligning with the city’s key experience pillars of coastal and aquatic assets, active and outdoor lifestyle, arts, heritage and culture, culinary destinations and ‘after dark’ activities.
“This program will support and empower tourism operators to optimise their business and showcase the city’s best assets to a wider tourism audience,” Cr Nelmes said.
“From cruises that make the most of our stunning coastline and waterways to land-based guided tours that unearth the hidden gems within our city, these tourism operators are passionate about sharing those elements that make Newcastle such an exciting and enticing destination.
“It’s also great to see some additions to the tourism mix among the successful applicants, including new businesses launching into the market and established business dipping their toes into the tourism sector to enhance their core offering.
“Expanding the suite of bookable options on offer across Newcastle will also have a flow-on effect that will benefit the local hospitality, accommodation and retail sectors by helping to grow visitation, length of stay and expenditure in Newcastle when travel restrictions ease.”
Applications were invited for the new program in August, with 15 local operators chosen by a panel of assessors to take part in the mentoring process, which kicked off this month and will continue until February next year.
The 15 participants are: Baked Uprising, Blackbutt Reserve, Christ Church Cathedral, CoastXP, Earp Distilling Co, Mitch Revs Gallery, Newcastle Afoot, Newcastle Backroad Tours, Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club, Newcastle Ghost Tours, Newy Rides, Nova Cruises Pty Ltd, The Lock-Up, Underground Epicureans and Urban Hum.
The Product Development Mentoring Program is being funded as part of the City’s Community and Economic Resilience Package and builds on other industry-based support including more than $500,000 in Industry Response Program grants developed in collaboration with the City Taskforce.

A man has died following a fall in Newcastle yesterday.
About 8.40pm (Monday 28 September 2020), emergency services were called to a hotel on Scott Street near Watt Street, Newcastle, following reports a man fallen from the fourth floor of the building.
He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died soon after.
The man is yet to be formally identified, however, is believed to be aged 37.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District established a crime scene, which was forensically examined by specialist police.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident has commenced and a report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.
Initial inquiries suggest the incident is not suspicious.

Residential development activity in the Newcastle Local Government Area held strong in the 2019/20 financial year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic occurring throughout the final four months.
Of the 1,168 development applications (DAs) approved by the City of Newcastle in 2019/20, 947 of them were for residential development, valued at more than $271 million, excluding mixed commercial developments. This remained steady from the previous financial year, which saw 1,008 residential DAs approved from 1,281.
The value of residential DAs for new dwellings lodged rose from 33 per cent to 46 per cent as a percentage of the total value of all DAs submitted.
Manager Regulatory, Planning and Assessment, Michelle Bisson, said development activity had remained strong.
“While no industry has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic unscathed, the popularity of new residential dwellings and secondary dwellings continues to grow in the Newcastle LGA,” Ms Bisson said.
“The construction of secondary dwellings provides the community with a choice of more affordable housing, which is a major focus of City of Newcastle’s draft Local Housing Strategy 2020, which was on public exhibition until 21 September.”
Ms Bisson said solid development activity was still also evident within the inner-city.
“The $166 million in developments approved in the CBD alone in the last financial year, plus state government approvals including the University of Newcastle City Campus and ongoing building works, are sustaining many local jobs on the ground and continuing the transformation of our City.”
The diversity of development in the City is reflected in the top-three most valuable DAs approved in the 2019/20 financial year, including a 20-storey mixed use development in Newcastle West ($27.6 million), the adaptive reuse of a building as a boutique hotel ($24.3 million) and an eight-storey commercial development ($18.9 million), both in Newcastle.
While the suburb of Newcastle continues to attract the development dollar ($110 million), other popular suburbs were Fletcher ($49.8 million), Broadmeadow ($47.8 million) and Mayfield West ($40 million).

City of Newcastle has opened two new basketball courts near the corner of National Park and Parry Streets to activate the formerly unused corner of National Park.
The new basketball courts replace the long defunct tennis facilities and sit alongside the recently opened greenspace where the former bowling club building previously stood.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the continued revival of the space within National Park has occurred at the perfect time.
“Following the demolition of the former bowling club building, we created new green space in this inner city park for the community to enjoy,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The addition of the basketball courts makes the location the perfect place for our community to get outdoors to participate in recreation and exercise as the weather continues to warm up.
“I’m pleased to say that the basketball courts have opened just in time for the school holidays and I have no doubt that kids and adults alike will be heading to National Park to shoot hoops over the coming weeks.
“Our outdoor spaces have been coveted by our community during the pandemic and continue to be important contributors to the wellbeing of our people.
The Lord Mayor said the long-term future of the area would be determined through community consultation on the upcoming National Park Plan of Management.
“National Park is a unique site in Newcastle and will play an important part in the liveability of our city centre as the population grows and the CBD moves to the west,” Cr Nelmes said.
“We’re looking forward to working with the community on the future of National Park, with engagement expected to start before the end of the year.”
National Park is one of Newcastle’s largest and oldest sportsgrounds and open space reserves, covering over 20 hectares and is currently home to a range of community facilities including sportsgrounds, netball courts, athletics track and high school.
The northwest corner of the park was formerly home to tennis courts and a bowling club, which was later occupied by charity Life Without Barriers until 2017.
In 2019 City of Newcastle commenced a process to provide safe public access to the northwest corner of the park, including demolishing the Life Without Barriers building and turfing the area for passive recreation. Investigations are currently underway for additional basketball courts at the site.
The National Park Plan of Management review is currently underway, with community consultation set to commence in November and a draft plan to be publicly exhibited in early 2021.
Head to the basketball courts map to find a complete listing of basketball courts throughout Newcastle.

Police are investigating after an armed robbery in Lake Macquarie.
About 6.15pm yesterday (Sunday 27 September 2020), a 24-year-old man was working at a bottle shop on Wilsons Road at Mount Hutton, when a man entered the store and threatened him with a firearm.
He demanded cash before fleeing the scene in an easterly direction towards South Street, Windale.
Lake Macquarie Police District officers were called a short time later and established a crime scene.
The man is described as being between 180cm to 185cm tall, wearing dark clothing with his face covered.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious in the area between 6pm and 6.30pm last night, or who may have CCTV or dashcam footage from nearby is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers.

A man has been charged following an alleged brawl in Lake Macquarie earlier this month.
Just before 5pm on Saturday (19 September 2020), police were called to a sporting ground on Minnie Street, Dora Creek, after reports of a physical altercation.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended, however, those involved had dispersed.
Following extensive inquiries, a 22-year-old man attended Newcastle Police Station about 8.30am today (Monday 28 September 2020) where he was arrested.
He has since been charged with affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court later today.
 

Detectives are appealing for an anonymous caller to come forward as they continue investigations into the suspicious death of a man in the state’s Hunter region nearly two years ago.
Just after 5.30am on Saturday 29 September 2018, emergency services were called to Carrington Street at Glenridding, after a man’s body was located on the side of the road.
The man was later identified as New Zealand firefighter Ian Pullen, aged 43, who had come to the Hunter region to assist with bushfire efforts.
Detectives from Hunter Valley Police District formed Strike Force Awabakil to investigate the circumstances surrounding Mr Pullen’s death.
Investigators believe Mr Pullen was struck by a vehicle between 4am and 5.30am that day.
An anonymous call made to police indicated that the vehicle involved returned to the scene, where the occupants exited the car and approached Mr Pullen while he was still alive.
Hunter Valley Police District Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Matthew Zimmer, reminded the community that a $350,000 reward remained on offer for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for Mr Pullen’s death.
“Ian Pullen had come to the region to help the community battle a bushfire threat and to think that someone struck him with their vehicle and left him to die is abhorrent,” Det Insp Zimmer said.
“An anonymous tip-off has led investigators to believe the driver of the vehicle knew they had struck someone, and police are interested in their movements after exiting the car.
“We are appealing for that caller to come forward and speak with investigators so we can continue to piece together exactly what happened on that tragic morning.
“It’s been nearly two years since Mr Pullen’s death, and we want to provide some answers for his heart-broken family. They need to know what happened to their loving son, husband and father,” Det Insp Zimmer said.

A man missing from the state’s Hunter region has been found safe and well.
The 47-year-old man was reported missing to officers from Newcastle City Police District after he had not been seen or heard from by family and friends since Saturday 19 September 2020.
Following inquiries, police located the man at a home in Waratah yesterday (Saturday 26 September 2020).
Police thank the media and the community for their assistance.