Category: Newcastle News

City of Newcastle is extremely disappointed by recent incidents of theft and vandalism affecting community infrastructure across the city.

Incidents include the theft of charging cables from two City of Newcastle fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and damage caused to valued community sporting facilities at Smith Park in Hamilton North and Kentish Oval at Lambton.

The thefts have temporarily taken EV chargers out of service at Cleary Street, Hamilton and No. 2 Sportsground car park in Newcastle West. Replacement cables have been ordered, and City of Newcastle is working to restore the chargers as soon as possible. 

The loss of income from the EV chargers will place further pressure on our budget at a time when staff are already undertaking a review of expenditure to enable Council’s decision to reduce pool entry to $2. 

At Smith Park, recent vandalism caused disruption to local sporting clubs and dedicated volunteers who work hard to support community sport. These individuals play a vital role in activating the facility, contributing to the wellbeing and connection of our community. Repair work is underway and is expected to be completed Tuesday afternoon with no ongoing impact to user groups.

Kentish Oval was also vandalised earlier this month, and our team worked quickly to inspect and repair the damage resulting in no impact to scheduled sporting fixtures or training. 

City of Newcastle acknowledges the inconvenience and frustration these incidents cause for residents, volunteers and facility users.

City of Newcastle continues to investigate options to reduce the risk of future incidents across its network of community facilities. However, with more than 150 sports fields, 250 parks and a large network of public infrastructure across the local government area, it is not realistic to prevent every act of theft or vandalism.

Instead, as a community we need to do all we can to discourage acts of vandalism and to ensure people respect public infrastructure such as parks and sporting fields. 

The incidents involving the EV chargers have been reported to NSW Police. Several other privately-owned and council-owned EV sites have also been targeted by thieves in surrounding local government areas.

City of Newcastle encourages anyone with information about these or other incidents involving community infrastructure to contact NSW Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A 13-year-old boy reported missing from the Lake Macquarie area has been located.

Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal.

Two people have been charged after a woman was hospitalised with gunshot wounds in Maitland overnight.

About 11.40pm yesterday (Wednesday 1 July 2026), police received a report that a woman had presented to hospital with gunshot injuries.

Officers attached to Port Stephens Hunter Police District attended and were told the woman – aged 31 – was at a home on Alliance Street, East Maitland, when an argument began between her and the residents.

Police will allege one of the residents – a man aged 55 – shot the woman with what was described as being a shortened shotgun before she ran from the property.

She was then taken by car to Maitland Hospital before being transferred to John Hunter Hospital for further treatment of injuries to her head, neck and shoulder. Police have been told none of her injuries are considered life threatening.

Following inquiries, police attended the home on Alliance Street, where they arrested the 55-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman and established a crime scene.

The pair were taken to Maitland Police Station where they were each charged with shoot with intent to murder.

They were refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 2 today (Thursday 2 July 2026).

A woman is in hospital with gunshot injuries and two other people are in custody after a shooting in Maitland overnight.

About 11.40pm (Wednesday 1 July 2026), police received a report that a woman had presented to hospital with gunshot injuries.

Officers attached to Port Stephens Hunter Police District attended and were told the woman – aged 31 – was at a home on Alliance Street, East Maitland, when an argument began between her and the residents.

Police will allege one of the residents – a man aged 55 – shot the woman with a shortened shotgun before she ran from the property.

She was then taken by car to Maitland Hospital before being transferred to John Hunter Hospital for further treatment of injuries to her head, neck and shoulder. Police have been told none of her injuries are considered life threatening.

Following inquiries, police attended the home on Alliance Street, where they arrested the 55-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman. They have been taken to Maitland Police Station.

A crime scene has been established and the investigation into the incident is continuing.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage boy missing from the State’s north.

Charlie Ravesi, aged 13, was last seen on Donnelly Road, Arcadia Vale, on Thursday 18 June 2026.

When he was unable to be located or contacted, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified yesterday (Tuesday 30 June 2026) and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for his welfare due to his age.

Charlie is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 140cm tall, of thin build, with brown hair, and blue eyes.

He is known to frequent the Belmont, Belmont North and Charlestown areas.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Lake Macquarie Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A man has been charged after an alleged explosive was thrown at police, setting them alight, during an operation in the state’s north last week.

About 2pm on Thursday 25 June 2026, officers from Hunter Valley Police District attended a house on Parkinson Avenue, Muswellbrook, to execute an arrest warrant.

Officers attempted to arrest a 58-year-old man; however, he allegedly resisted and threatened police with a compound bow.

A perimeter was established and an operation commenced with the assistance of the Tactical Operations Unit.

Whilst attempting to speak with the man, he allegedly poured fuel throughout the house and threw gas bottles at officers.

About 6am on Friday 26 June 2026, tactical officers forced entry into the house where the man allegedly threw an improvised explosive device at the officers setting them alight.

The officers were able to extinguish themselves, before using beanbag rounds to arrest the man.

He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital for further assessment.

Several officers were treated on scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for minor burns to the face, arms, and neck. They did not require further treatment.

About 12pm the same day, investigators executed a search warrant at the premises and allegedly located and seized offensive weapons including a mace, crossbow and cannabis.

The man was subsequently charged with 19 offences including throw/lay down etc explosive etc with intent to maim/do grievous bodily harm, use offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention and assault police.

The man was refused bail to appear at Bail Division Court 2 yesterday (Tuesday 30 June 2026) where he was formally refused bail to appear at a later date.

A woman has suffered a gunshot wound to her arm at Gateshead overnight.

Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District have been told two women and two men were leaving a unit on Paper Street about 8.45pm (Tuesday 30 June 2026), when they were approached by two people who had their faces covered; one was holding a firearm.

Police have been told two shots were fired towards the group, with a 50-year-old woman suffering a gunshot wound to her right upper arm. The second round struck a window of the unit.

All six people then left the scene.

Police were not alerted to the incident until about 9.20pm, when a crime scene was established and canvass of the area conducted.

Following inquiries, the injured woman was found at a home in Charlestown and was taken by NSW Ambulance to John Hunter Hospital to be treated. She remains there in a stable condition.

A second woman, aged 38, remains at a police station within the command as inquiries continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Detectives are appealing for anyone with information about, or relevant vision of, the incident to contact Belmont Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A man and woman have been charged following a pursuit and crash at Lake Macquarie this morning.

About 9.45am (Tuesday 30 June 2026), officers attached to Newcastle City Police District attempted to stop a sedan on Glebe Road, Hamilton South.

When the driver allegedly failed to stop as directed, a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit continued through several suburbs of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, before it was terminated on Macquarie Road near Munibung Road at Cardiff due to safety concerns.

A short time later, police were called to Macquarie Road, Warners Bay, following reports of a two-vehicle crash.

On arrival, police located a crash between the sedan and a motorcycle.

The motorcycle rider – a 28-year-old man – was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for minor injuries before being taken to Belmont Hospital for further assessment.

The occupants of the sedan allegedly left the scene after the crash.

Police located the sedan abandoned on Gradburn Parade, Jewells, and were told that the pair had been picked up with a white utility a short time earlier.

Following inquiries, a 22-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman were arrested in the utility on the Inner-City Bypass at Gateshead a short time later. They were both taken to Belmont Police Station.

During a search of the woman, police allegedly located and seized 3g methamphetamine. During a search of the sedan, police allegedly located and seized mobile phones and a laptop suspected of being stolen.

The man was charged with seven offences,

– Drive motor vehicle during disqualification period

– Use class A vehicle with unauthorised number plate affixed

– Police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly

– Drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous

– Fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury

– Intimidate police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm, and

– Hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty.

The woman was charged with break and enter house etc steal value less than or equal to $60,000 and possess prohibited drug.

Both were refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 2 tomorrow (Wednesday 1 July 2027).

Emergency services personnel involved in the rescue of John ‘Stinker’ Clarke last week have reunited with the 77-year-old fisherman following his remarkable survival at sea.

About 6pm on Wednesday 24 June 2026, emergency services were alerted after Mr Clarke failed to return home from a fishing trip. A coordinated marine search and rescue operation was launched involving Marine Rescue NSW volunteers, Port Stephens Water Police and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

About 8.30pm, the helicopter crew located Mr Clarke’s overturned vessel smashed against rocks approximately 400 metres southwest of Fingal Lighthouse. A short time later, Mr Clarke – wearing a lifejacket – was found in the water nearby.

Officers attached to Port Stephens Water Police, Sergeant Brown and Senior Constable Grice, were directed to the location where they pulled Mr Clarke from the water and began first aid.

Responders faced challenging conditions, including 15-knot southerly winds and a 2.5-metre swell.

Mr Clarke was taken to Nelson Bay Public Wharf, escorted by Marine Rescue NSW volunteers who helped shield the vessel from heavy seas. At the wharf, he was treated by a Westpac Rescue Helicopter doctor and NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Tomaree Hospital and later transferred to John Hunter Hospital for the treatment of severe hypothermia and abrasions.

This morning (Tuesday 30 June 2026), crews from NSW Police Marine Area Command, NSW Ambulance, Marine Rescue NSW, and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter reunited with Mr Clarke to share stories of his rescue.

Speaking after the reunion, Sergeant Brown said Mr Clarke’s survival was a powerful reminder of the importance of preparation on the water.

“Lifejackets save lives – and this rescue is a perfect example of why you should always wear the appropriate lifejacket for the activity you’re undertaking,” Sgt Brown said.

“Lifejackets fitted with reflectors can make all the difference when crews are searching at night.

“Every time you head out on the water, you should wear a lifejacket, log on and off with Marine Rescue NSW using the free app or VHF Channel 16, and make sure someone knows where you’re going and when you’ll be back,” Sgt Brown said.

“It’s also critical to carry the required safety equipment for your vessel and the conditions.”

Mr Clarke recounted his ordeal, describing how a routine fishing trip quickly turned into a fight for survival.

“I went to my normal fishing spot and there was so much activity. I caught two really nice snapper,” he said.

“The sea got a bit too big, so I decided to leave. As I was pulling the anchor up, a wave came straight over the top and filled the boat with water.

“The boat overturned, and I clung to it for a while before pushing away from the rocks into deeper water. I always have a plan B, but this time I didn’t. I was at the mercy of the sea.

“As it got dark, I thought I was coming to the end of the line,” Mr Clarke said.

“I didn’t panic. I just thought, if I’m going to survive, a helicopter will have to come.

“And if a helicopter comes, they’ll contact Water Police, and Sergeant Clint Brown – who I’ve known since he was 12 – will come and pick me up.

“And that’s exactly what happened.”

City of Newcastle is extremely disappointed by recent incidents of theft and vandalism affecting community infrastructure across the city.

Incidents include the theft of charging cables from two City of Newcastle fast electric vehicle (EV) charging stations and damage caused to valued community sporting facilities at Smith Park in Hamilton North and Kentish Oval at Lambton.

The thefts have temporarily taken EV chargers out of service at Cleary Street, Hamilton and No. 2 Sportsground car park in Newcastle West. Replacement cables have been ordered, and City of Newcastle is working to restore the chargers as soon as possible. 

The loss of income from the EV chargers will place further pressure on our budget at a time when staff are already undertaking a review of expenditure to enable Council’s decision to reduce pool entry to $2. 

At Smith Park, recent vandalism caused disruption to local sporting clubs and dedicated volunteers who work hard to support community sport. These individuals play a vital role in activating the facility, contributing to the wellbeing and connection of our community. Repair work is underway and is expected to be completed Tuesday afternoon with no ongoing impact to user groups.

Kentish Oval was also vandalised earlier this month, and our team worked quickly to inspect and repair the damage resulting in no impact to scheduled sporting fixtures or training. 

City of Newcastle acknowledges the inconvenience and frustration these incidents cause for residents, volunteers and facility users.

City of Newcastle continues to investigate options to reduce the risk of future incidents across its network of community facilities. However, with more than 150 sports fields, 250 parks and a large network of public infrastructure across the local government area, it is not realistic to prevent every act of theft or vandalism.

Instead, as a community we need to do all we can to discourage acts of vandalism and to ensure people respect public infrastructure such as parks and sporting fields. 

The incidents involving the EV chargers have been reported to NSW Police. Several other privately-owned and council-owned EV sites have also been targeted by thieves in surrounding local government areas.

City of Newcastle encourages anyone with information about these or other incidents involving community infrastructure to contact NSW Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.