Category: Newcastle News

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a truck crash on the M1 on the Central Coast this morning.
About 2.10am (Wednesday 30 October 2019), a B-Double was travelling through a roadworks zone heading north on the M1 at Halloran, just past the Sparks Road overpass, when it crashed into three work trucks that were stopped at the location.
The B-double has caught alight, the fire quickly spreading to the three heavy vehicles involved in the crash.
Fortunately, there are no reports of injuries.
The northbound lanes of the M1 at Halloran will remain closed for some time as the fire is extinguished and inquiries into the cause of the crash continue.
Motorists are advised to visit www.livetraffic.com for the latest traffic information.

A 17-year-old youth has been charged after a police pursuit in the Hunter Valley yesterday.
Police will be alleging in court that the young person was seen driving a PT Chrysler Cruiser through the Hunter Economic Zone, Pelaw Main, about 6.15pm (Wednesday 30 October 2019) at excessive speed.
Police attempted to stop the vehicle, however, the driver failed to comply, and a pursuit was initiated.
The vehicle continued onto Hospital Road, Kurri Kurri before tuning left onto a dirt track where it was met with dense bushland.
The vehicle quickly reversed and crashed into two police vehicles – causing minor damage – before it sped away.
The pursuit was terminated, and a description of the vehicle was broadcast via police radio.
The Cruiser was found soon after in Hebburn Road, Pelaw Main and officers called for the vehicle to be seized.
While waiting for a tow truck, the 17-year-old alleged driver returned to the scene with a support person and spoke with police.
He was arrested and taken to Cessnock Police Station where he was charged with Skys Law and drive manner dangerously.
He was granted conditional bail and will appear in Kurri Kurri Local Court on Tuesday 26 November 2019.

A Corrective Services NSW officer has been charged over an alleged intimate relationship with a parolee in the state’s Hunter region.
Earlier this month, detectives from the Corrective Services Investigation Unit commenced an investigation following reports a community corrections officer and a parolee had been in an intimate relationship.
Following inquiries, detectives arrested a 30-year-old woman at Maitland Police Station about 10am today (Monday 28 October 2019).
She was charged with engage in sexual conduct etc compromise sentence/order.
Police will allege in court that the woman, who is a community corrections officer, was involved in a romantic relationship with a 29-year old male parolee.
The woman was granted strict conditional bail to appear at Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 11 December 2019.
She has been suspended by Corrective Services NSW.

Two men have been charged over the alleged sexual touching of a teenage girl at Nelson Bay earlier this year.
In May 2019, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports a 14-year-old girl had been sexually touched by two men who were not known to her.
As part of their inquiries, a 31-year-old man was arrested at Port Macquarie on Tuesday 17 September 2019.
He was charged with three counts of intentionally sexually touch child between 10 and 16 years.
The man was refused bail and appeared at Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday 18 September 2019, where he was granted strict conditional bail to re-appear at the same court on Thursday 21 November 2019.
Following further investigations, a 36-year-old man was arrested by officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District about 3pm yesterday (Monday 28 October 2019).
He was charged with three counts of intentionally sexually touch child between 10 and 16 years.
Police will allege in court that the men sexually touched the girl at a public toilet near Victoria Parade, Nelson Bay, in February 2019.
The Salt Ash man was refused bail to appear at Maitland Local Court today (Tuesday 29 October 2019).
 

Judging is complete, and the results are in for the long-standing Australian Children’s Music Foundation’s (ACMF) National Song writing Competition 2019.
Now in its 17^th year, the competition has inspired over 28,000 students across Australia to take the opportunity for self-expression, and enter their original song composition.
ACMF CEO and Founder, Don Spencer says, “Song-writing is a highly creative process. We want children to free their imagination, and engage with learning in a fun way.”
With four categories, and two exciting new awards for students from Year 4 to Year 12 to enter — the calibre, content, and talent behind the songs continue to astound its panel of judges.
This year saw the introduction of two new awards:  APRA AMCOS Young Songwriter of the Year; and Songwriting School of the Year.   The ACMF are thrilled by the on-going commitment from APRA AMCOS to encourage young songwriters. With the introduction of Songwriting School of the Year, the ACMF emphasise the importance of music education within Australian schooling.
This year’s judging panel met at APRA/AMCOS’ Sydney office this month to review over 80 songs, shortlisted from thousands of submissions nationally. Judges assessed various aspects of each song, including their lyrics, melody, song structure, and originality.
The 2019 competition is sponsored by supporting partner:, APRA AMCOS, Ampal, and oOh! Media. Winners will receive substantial prize money to be put towards music education, tuition and more.
The National Song writing Competition is an extension of what the ACMF achieves through its free music programs – within schools, hospitals, and juvenile justice centres across Australia.
The Foundation inspires creativity and imagination by providing life changing long term music education to disadvantaged children and youth at risk.
The ACMF’s nationwide creative competition comes at a time when the remarkable cognitive benefits of music education, particularly in learning and early-childhood development, are being more publicly recognised and explored.
Winners of the ACMF’s 2019 National Song writing Competition are as follows:

Category	First	Second	Third	Highly Commended
4 – 6	Samuel Stephens – ‘Nanna Jean (Taree, NSW)	Claudia Pitts – ‘Tashi Tree (Montrose, VIC)	Gabriella Aarons, and Benjamin Fram – ‘Stuck on the Sidewalk (St Ives, NSW)	Nina Collie – ‘Leadbeater Possum’ (The Patch, VIC) and Jaz Fennell – ‘Kindness’ (Ashmore, QLD) and Yasmin Taunton – ‘Girls have the right to say no’ (Georges Hall, NSW)
7 – 10	*Ashton Masters – ‘The devil’s play thing’ (Huntleys Point, NSW)	Esme Stripp – ‘All the things I can’t tell you (Brighton East, VIC)	Sophia Angilletta – ‘Piece of my emotion’ (Newtown, NSW)	Bennita Rodda – ‘We are glorious (Maitland, SA) and Teagan Klooger – ‘Teenage Years’ (Werribee, VIC) and Ruby Archer – ‘But they’re only my dreams’ (Erina Heights, NSW)
11 – 12	**Samantha Timcke – ‘Paper People’ (Adelaide, SA)	Lauren Studley – ‘Falling Again’ (Melbourne, VIC)	Taylah Silvestri – ‘Somehow’ (Adelaide, SA)	Noah Ryland – ‘Leaves’ (Melbourne, VIC) and The Leftovers Band – ‘One in a million’ (Trafalgar, VIC) and Emily Grace – ‘Bad Intentions’ (Adelaide, SA)

 
*Also Winner of Allan Kendall Award 2019: A special award for most creative and original across all categories
**Also Winner of APRA AMCOS Young Song writer of the year 2019
 

Special Awards		WINNER
Alan Kendall Award 2019	Yearly special award for most creative and original across competition	Ashton Masters – ‘The Devil’s Play Thing’ (Huntleys Point, NSW)
APRA AMCOS Young Song writer of the Year 2019	Newly introduced award sponsored by APRA AMCOS – $5,000 toward supporting one song writer	Samantha Timcke – ‘Paper People’ (Adelaide, SA)
Song writing School of the Year 2019	Newly introduced award category – $5,000 toward supporting one school music program	St Pius X High School – Unplug and Connect (Adamstown, NSW)

Unplug and Connect
By Cooper Lloyd and Frankie Parris
Chorus:
What is happening to our world                                       
Society has been all curled
We need to change all of this now     
Don’t want to leave this world with a frown
Verse 1
Everybody always looking down at their devices
That is one sign that humans are going through a crisis
We’re thinking why should we consider the feelings of others
This is hurting all your friends, siblings, fathers and mothers.
Get off the screens, it’s now or never,
There isn’t a lot of time to spend together,
Thanks to technology, you’re not being you,
Thanks to technology, you feel more blue.
You find it hard to get outside and fly a kite
You can’t see the whiteboard due to bad eyesight,
An innovative invention has ruined who we are,
We gotta stop this now, we’ve taken it too far.
Chorus:
What is happening to our world                                       
Society has been all curled
We need to change all of this now     
Don’t want to leave this world with a frown
Verse 2
When you played outside last, you probably won’t remember
You’ll say something like ‘Oh, maybe last September’
I’ll then say to you ‘You’re not the only one
We need to get outside we need soak up the sun’.
Go to the pool, have a dip in the water
Go with your family, cause you can spend a quarter
Of your day having fun, care free
Do it for yourself, and do it for the
Seven billion people who will follow your actions,
Show the world what you’re made of, just like Michael Jackson,
If you don’t spread your wings, you’re making it hard for yourself,
It will make you happier, it will boost your health.
Chorus:
What is happening to our world                                       
Society has been all curled
We need to change all of this now     
Don’t want to leave this world with a frown
Bridge
Trying to hide your emotions
Trying to keep it all in
Hiding away from those special moments
Living  like this you feel so broken
Chorus:
What is happening to our world                                       
Society has been all curled
We need to change all of this now     
Don’t want to leave this world with a frown

North-easterly winds are pushing the smoke along the coast to areas including Newcastle, Sydney and the Illawarra.
The smoke is expected to settle in these areas and may continue for the next few days.
NSW Health reminds people that children, older adults and people with heart and lung conditions are most susceptible to the effects of air pollution and excessive smoke.
If you have asthma or a lung condition, reduce outdoor activities if smoke levels are high and if shortness of breath or coughing develops, take your reliever medicine or seek medical advice.
Asthma sufferers need to follow their Asthma Action Plan and take their relieving medication where necessary. If symptoms get worse, seek medical advice. Further advice is available from the Asthma Foundation website. https://www.nationalasthma.org.au
 

In some parts of Newcastle, as many as six per cent of households have their electricity disconnected in recent times, according to an updated report from St Vincent de Paul.
Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon discussed the “Households in the Dark” report during a speech on the so-called ‘big stick’ legislation, which would give Government powers to break up energy companies.
“Tragically, millions of Australians are struggling to keep the lights on. And of course, it’s the most vulnerable people – the very people already under siege from this Government’s savage agenda – that are getting hit the hardest,” Ms Claydon told the Parliament.
“[The report] showed that far from being an anomaly, disconnections are becoming commonplace.”
Ms Claydon said the number of disconnections in Newcastle were “shocking”.
“In postcode 2300, which takes in the inner city suburbs of Newcastle, Cooks Hill, Bar Beach, Newcastle East and The Hill, a staggering 6.4% of households had electricity disconnections raised between July 2015 and June 2018.
“Indeed, out of every single populated postcode in my electorate, the very lowest disconnection rate was 2.4% of households.”
Ms Claydon blamed the terrible figures on the Morrison Government’s failure to deliver a national energy policy.
“When it comes to energy policy, the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison Government has demonstrated time and again that it is pathologically incapable of delivering the leadership that the country so desperately needs.
“Wholesale power prices have climbed 158 per cent since 2015. Business is hurting and household budgets are getting smashed.
“This Government needs to stop its childish factional bickering, get over its aversion to science and deliver an energy policy that will drive investment, create jobs, bring down carbon emissions and cut electricity prices.”

Police are appealing for dashcam footage after a roadworker was seriously involved during a crash on the M1 Motorway at Berowra yesterday.
Emergency services were called shortly after 3am (Wednesday 23 October 2019), after a roadworker was struck in the breakdown lane by a utility, driven between the roadwork safety vehicle and the rock wall.
The 28-year-old roadworker was treated at the scene by paramedics for head injuries before being taken to Royal North Shore Hospital in a serious condition.
The driver of the utility, a 72-year-old man from Kingsgrove, has also been taken to Royal North Shore for mandatory testing and to be treated for a minor head injury.
Officers from Ku-Ring-Gai Police Area Command attended and established a crime scene; however, inquiries are now been taken over by the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit (MCIU).
As inquiries continue, officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit are now appealing for public assistance for anyone who may have been travelling southbound on the M1 between 10pm Tuesday 22 October 2019) and 3am and may have dashcam footage or anyone who may have witnessed the crash to come forward.
Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding a single-vehicle fatal crash in the Hunter Region overnight.
About 11.40pm (Wednesday 24 October 2019), a vehicle travelling north on M1, near O’Donnelltown Road, Killingworth, Lake Macquarie, left the road and crashed into bushland.
The vehicle caught alight and the driver died at the scene.
A crime scene has been established as inquiries continue.
The driver has not yet been identified.

Police are investigating after two vehicles and a home were set alight in Charlestown overnight.
Sometime between 5.30pm and 8pm yesterday (Wednesday 23 October 2019), police have been told a Hyundai i30 was found on fire at a home on Whitburn Close, Charlestown.
Neighbours and Fire and Rescue NSW assisted in extinguishing the blaze.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District were called and attended the scene.
While at this home, police received reports of another vehicle fire on Merran Avenue, Charlestown.
Police have been told a man noticed his vehicle, a Subaru Forester, was on fire and extinguished the blaze.
He then noticed two separate small fires at the sides of the home; all the blazes were extinguished.
Officers from Lake Macquarie PD were called to the scene and commenced an investigation.
Police believe the two incidents are linked.
Police are appealing for anyone who may have CCTV footage or dash cam footage from around these times in the area to contact Belmont Police on 4922 8899 or to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Lake Macquarie Police District Duty Officer, Chief Inspector David Matthews, said this is a timely reminder for residents to revisit their home security.
“Always try to park vehicles inside a garage where possible, never leave valuables inside your car and in plain sight, and always remember to lock the door before walking away.
“These may seem like simple reminders but they can help you avoid becoming a victim of crime,” Ch Insp Matthews said.