Novocastrians are being invited to have their say on a study designed to provide updated information on flood risks in parts of Newcastle and ensure future developments are fit-for-purpose in these areas.
Councillors last night voted to place the draft Throsby, Styx and Cottage Creek Flood Study on public exhibition for 28 days.
City of Newcastle (CN) was required to update the previous study, completed in 2008, following significant changes to Australian Rainfall and Runoff guidelines used to estimate flood impacts and behaviour. The changes relate to modelling methodology, rainfall patterns, and estimation of climate change impacts.
CN is responsible under legislation passed by the NSW government for flood risk management, including the completion of flood studies such as the Draft Throsby, Styx and Cottage Creek Flood Study. Work on the updated study began in 2021 following a grant from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
The Flood Study seeks to define current and future flood risk and behaviour, in order to reduce the risk to life and property now and into the future.
Feedback collected during the public exhibition will be used to help refine the Flood Study and allow CN to work with other government agencies to improve our flash flood alert system and respond to flooding events to keep our community safe.
Once adopted, the updated Flood Study will give residents and businesses clearer advice on flood risk within the 51 km² catchment east of John Hunter Hospital, providing longer-term certainty to ensure fit-for-purpose developments and improve the community’s resilience to the potential impacts of floods and climate change.
City of Newcastle is encouraging all residents, business and property owners within the relevant catchment areas to visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/yoursay by 24 August 2023 to review the updated Flood Study and find out what it might mean for them.
Drop-in information sessions will also be held to give the community an opportunity to find out more about the updated study:
Saturday 12 August – 1:30pm – 4:00pm
Adamstown Community Hall (153A Brunker Road, Adamstown)
Monday 14 August – 3:30pm – 6:00pm
Digital Library (12 Stewart Avenue, Newcastle West).
Net zero carbon emissions, renewable energy initiatives, more cycleways, connected wildlife corridors and sustainable construction materials are part of how City of Newcastle (CN) intends to create an environmental legacy for future generations.
The vision has been outlined in CN’s draft Newcastle Environment Strategy, which will be tabled at Tuesday’s Council meeting ahead of a proposed four-week public exhibition period.
Designed around the three priority areas of climate change, nature-based solutions and the circular economy, the Strategy sets out a 10-year environmental roadmap for a sustainable Newcastle, with 15 key actions identified to be delivered within the first four years.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Strategy would ensure CN continues its decades-long action and advocacy to protect and improve our environment.
“Newcastle has a well earnt reputation as a leader in local government when it comes to protecting our precious natural environment, while also investing in progressive actions to ensure our city is more sustainable,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Since the watershed Pathways to Sustainability international conference held in Newcastle in 1997 under the leadership of former Lord Mayor Greg Heys, we have recognised that we must take local action towards addressing global environmental challenges.
“Through this Strategy, we are sending a message to our community that we remain strongly committed to protecting and enhancing Newcastle’s natural environment today, and for future generations of Novocastrians.”
The Strategy is based on a shared community vision for our environment, having been informed by more than 4,500 pieces of feedback from over 2,600 community members and environmental experts received during the Community Strategic Plan engagement program.
It sets out the initial actions to be delivered by CN or in partnership with state and federal governments, business and the community by 2027.
This includes transitioning CN’s vehicles, plant and equipment to electric-powered or low emissions alternatives and expanding our urban forest to create connected green corridors for iconic, threatened and pollinator species.
Other actions include working in partnership with local traditional custodians to integrate indigenous knowledge into the way we care for and manage our land, and increasing the use of recovered materials and sustainable product alternatives in CN operations and construction works.
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said the Strategy provides a definitive roadmap for achieving our progressive environmental ambitions.
“Through our Newcastle Environment Strategy, we will become an even more sustainable city, where we value our natural environment and continue to take decisive action to respond to challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, and the overuse of resources,” Cr Clausen said.
“With its accompanying delivery plan, we have identified clear and tangible actions that will allow us to achieve net zero emissions, build resilience to climate change in our community, infrastructure and natural areas, and transform our city through circular economy solutions.”
The Newcastle Environment Strategy will be delivered in conjunction with CN’s Our Sustainable Waste Strategy, Newcastle Transport Strategy and On Our Bikes Cycling Plan and is currently supported by the Newcastle Climate Action Plan 2021-2025.
Pending approval from Councillors at Tuesday’s meeting, the draft Strategy will be placed on public exhibition for four weeks before returning to Council later this year for adoption.
Community members will be given the chance to comment on the Strategy via the Have Your Say page on CN’s website and will be invited to enter a free photography competition designed to capture the different ways people value Newcastle’s environment.
Bus passengers in the Hunter region will have the chance to speak with the NSW Government on what they want from their bus services on Friday 28 July.
As part of the Minns Labor Government’s Bus Industry Taskforce, the face-to-face forum will provide a much-needed opportunity for passengers and their representatives to have their say.
The government will host the forum later this week and invites members of the public and representatives from community groups, local businesses and non-government organisations to come and provide their feedback and ideas.
This session will include small group discussions around participants’ areas of interest, such as the frequency, reliability or route of their local bus services, bus stop infrastructure, or how they get information about their service.
Everyone is welcome to drop into the session below but if you can’t make it on the day, you can visit the Bus Industry Taskforce and have your say about what is important to you at any time.
Hunter region Bus Passenger Forum details:
Date
Friday 28 July
Time
11am to 1pm
Location
The NEX Club, 309 King Street, Newcastle West NSW 2302
The taskforce will use community feedback in its advice to the minister on how to make bus services better across NSW. A summary report will be prepared so that people can see how their feedback will be used.
Minister for Transport Jo Haylen said:
“We know the community has a lot to say about the current state of our bus services and we want to make sure they are part of the decision-making process.
“It’s no secret we’ve inherited the mess of the former government’s failed bus privatisation experiment. What we need to do now is find solutions and engage with the community in meaningful ways to find those solutions.
“Commuters across the Newcastle and the Hunter region have been dealing with these service issues for too long and it is time passengers had their say.
“Your feedback will be considered, from frustrations over interchanging and frequency to discussions on bus stop placement, we want to hear it all.”
The Albanese Government has taken a major step forward towards delivering a renewable hydrogen hub in the Hunter.
Signed agreement has been reached to invest $70 million to develop a hydrogen hub in Newcastle, which will create jobs and boost Australia’s renewable hydrogen industry.
This is the first major agreement struck in Australia that delivers a government investment commitment to a regional hydrogen hub.
Origin Energy in collaboration with Orica is progressing the development of the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub which will produce renewable hydrogen and create around 100 jobs.
Funding will build the infrastructure needed to produce up to 5500 tonnes of renewable hydrogen each year. Most of the hydrogen will be used by the Orica ammonia and ammonium nitrate facility to help make their products emission-free. Hydrogen will also be made available for refuelling hydrogen buses and trucks at the hub.
The project also aims to establish a pathway to export renewable hydrogen and provide more job opportunities in the region by expanding workforce skills and creating a new industry around renewable hydrogen.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen said renewable hydrogen was an essential part of Australia’s renewable energy transformation.
“Investing in an Australian renewable hydrogen industry is investing in Australia’s future,” said Minister Bowen.
“Newcastle and the Hunter Region have been industrial and economic powerhouses for decades, making the Port of Newcastle an ideal location for a renewable hydrogen hub that can support decarbonisation of heavy industry in the region and connect our renewable resources to the world.
“This project is the next step towards using locally produced renewable hydrogen in Australia to reduce our industrial emissions and develop a renewable export future.”
Renewable hydrogen will be produced using a 55 MW electrolyser, which is over 5 times larger than the biggest electrolyser currently at final investment decision.
Federal member Sharon Claydon said this major investment will help establish Newcastle and the Hunter as a renewable energy hub.
“The regions that have always powered Australia are the same regions that will power us throughout the transformation to a decarbonised economy – but only with the right investment.
“The Albanese Labor Government is committed to supporting carbon intensive regions like ours to take advantage of the economic and job opportunities that come with more affordable and reliable renewable energy.”
Construction of the facility is targeted to begin in 2025 with operations expected to commence in 2026.
Hydrogen hubs help give the hydrogen industry its springboard to scale. They are locations where co-located producers, users and exporters of hydrogen share infrastructure and expertise, lowering the cost of production, encouraging innovation, enhancing skills and training, and creating jobs.
The Albanese Government is also investing to scale up Australia’s renewable hydrogen industry through the $2 billion Hydrogen Headstart program announced in the 2023-24 Budget, as well as investing over half a billion dollars in regional hydrogen hubs. These actions will drive further investments in hydrogen across other regions including Gladstone and the Pilbara.
The Albanese Government’s reformed Safeguard Mechanism puts industries like ammonia and chemical production on track to net zero emissions by 2050 and will continue to incentivise deployment of technologies like hydrogen and increased use of renewable energy.
The state’s biggest showcase of public education’s creativity and performing arts is turning 40, and schools across Newcastle and the Hunter are joining the ‘Fabulous’ party.
Students from hundreds of schools across the state were chosen to perform at this year’s Schools Spectacular – the world’s largest amateur variety show and one of NSW public education’s flagship arts events.
Five students from Hunter School of Performing Arts and one from Rutherford Technology High School are among more than 150 who will perform as featured artists at this year’s Schools Spectacular.
The local schools whose students will perform at this year’s event include:
Hunter School of Performing Arts – 19 students
Lambton High School – one student
Maitland High School – 10 students
Rutherford Technology High School – 10 students
Scone High School – one student
Whitebridge High School – one student
They will join a cast of thousands of public school students from on stage at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 November for a ‘Fabulous’ display of youth dance and musical performances.
The theme this year is ‘Fabulous’ and celebrates a show that has wowed its audiences for 40 years since its first performance to celebrate the opening of Darling Harbour’s Entertainment Centre in 1983.
This year’s show will feature a 2,600-person voice choir, 2,300 dancers, an 80-piece symphony orchestra, the signing choir, stage band, specialist ensembles and VET crew all under the guidance of more than 600 teachers.
Executive producer, Richard Spiewak, said the one-of-a-kind production gives thousands of public-school students the opportunity to be challenged and engaged through the performing arts.
“The Schools Spectacular is just that – a spectacular display of the incredibly talented students and staff in our public schools,” Mr Speak said.
“To be chosen to perform at this world-class event is not only testament to their talent, but also an opportunity for students to nurture their love for performing while working alongside some of the finest talents in the entertainment industry.
“Congratulations to all the students who have been selected to perform at this year’s event – it is going to be fabulous,” he said.
Tickets for the 2023 Schools Spectacular will be on sale through Ticketek from Friday, July 28.
Schools Spectacular is produced by The Arts Unit at the NSW Department of Education and proudly supported by Telstra, NSW Teachers Federation, School Bytes, RODE, Smartsalary, Teachers Health, Steinway Galleries, Event Partners: Qudos Bank Arena, Seven Network and Ticketek.
Newcastle venues are being invited to apply for a new round of funding from City of Newcastle (CN) aimed at delivering more live, local performances during this year’s New Annual festival.
A total of $10,000 is up for grabs in the latest round of the popular Locally Made and Played grant program to host live music, comedy or other performances, with all funding required to go directly to artists.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said CN is committed to supporting the local arts and culture scene which brings vibrancy to the city.
“Since its inception in 2021, the Locally Made and Played program has been an incredibly popular initiative, supporting more than 230 live music and cultural performances across the city and delivering almost $100,000 in direct support for artists,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The upcoming New Annual festival presents an opportunity to showcase Newcastle’s lively cultural scene and home-grown talent to the thousands of people expected to descend on the city centre across the 10-day period.
“Incentivising local venues to host live music and performances during the festival gives visitors plenty of reasons to stay on and enjoy Newcastle’s thriving and diverse nightlife.”
Chair of City of Newcastle’s Community and Culture Advisory Committee, Councillor Carol Duncan said the additional live performances will add to the overall vibrancy of the New Annual festival.
“Newcastle boasts a bustling live music and cultural scene and added live performances will really enhance that whole-of-city festival atmosphere during the 10-day festival,” Cr Duncan.
“We look forward to welcoming locals and visitors alike into the city centre during New Annual to soak up all that Newcastle has to offer.”
Previous grant recipient, Marcus Wright from the Wickham Park Hotel, welcomed the return of the popular grant program.
“Live music and performance is the beating heart of a city and its pleasing to see City of Newcastle creating opportunities to ensure we are tapping into the influx of visitors here for New Annual whilst fostering our local talent,” Mr Wright said.
“The funding grants will go a long way in continuing to support the ongoing recovery of the sector following years of COVID-19 disruptions.”
Locally Made and Played grant applications open on Monday 17 July and close on Friday 4 August 2023. Visit City of Newcastle’s Grants and Sponsorship’s webpage for more information.
New Annual will run from 22 September to 1 October. Visit www.newannual.com for more details about the program and to secure your tickets.
Its doors may be temporarily closed to visitors but that hasn’t stopped Newcastle Art Gallery bringing art to the city, commissioning new works to be displayed on the construction fencing around the site.
More than 300 artists from across Australia put their names forward to take part in the street hoarding commission project, with Newcastle’s Izabela Pluta one of four artists chosen to have their work presented on the temporary fencing.
Proud Yuwi man Dylan Mooney from Brisbane, and Sydney-based artists Diana Baker-Smith and Agus Wijaya will also have their work on show to passers-by during the construction phase of the Art Gallery’s major expansion project.
Each artist will produce a striking new work for the street hoarding, working closely with the Art Gallery’s Curatorial and Exhibitions team to develop their ideas.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the high level of interest in the EOI process was testament to the city’s reputation as an active and vibrant centre for the arts in NSW.
“Newcastle Art Gallery is held in high regard in the Australian arts community, home to a nationally significant collection worth more than $126 million and with an award-winning artistic program,” Cr Nelmes said.
“This esteem will grow further as we progress with our long-awaited Gallery expansion project, which will significantly increase the Gallery’s capacity to present works of art of local, national and global importance while also providing our audiences with greater access to the city’s renowned public collection.
“In the meantime, the hoarding commission project offers a unique opportunity for audiences to enjoy new site-specific works of art made by these four well-regarded contemporary Australian artists, which will also help to improve the external view of this work zone in the heart of our city.”
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM said the selection panel was very impressed with the calibre and diversity of the artists’ proposals, with the selected artists capturing themes of renewal, change and anticipation through photography, drawing, painting, text, and digital illustration.
The four new works of art will be digitally reproduced and presented on the temporary street hoarding that will be erected around the Art Gallery site in coming months by Hansen Yuncken, who were awarded the contract for the main construction works by Council in April.
The expansion project recently reached another milestone, with remediation of the historic mine tunnels, 80 metres below the building, now complete.
Around 13,500 cubic metres of grout, which is equivalent to five-and-a-half Olympic-size swimming pools, was successfully placed in the Dudley and Borehole seams to ensure the safety of the site ahead of the main expansion works.
The remediation work was made possible with the support of the Newcastle Mines Grouting Fund, administered by the Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation. Construction is scheduled for completion in late 2024.
The Gallery’s temporary street hoarding commission project is supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
The Newcastle Art Gallery expansion project is supported by $5 million from the Australian Government under the Regional Recovery Partnerships and $5 million from the New South Wales Government, as well as $10.5 million from the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation made possible through the Valerie and John Ryan bequest, Margaret Olley Trust, and community fundraising over many years. A further $2.5 million is currently being sought through the Foundation’s public fundraising campaign.
The Regional Recovery Partnerships initiative seeks to broker connections between all levels of government to increase information flow, share technical expertise and strengthen regional development outcomes.
Award-winning journalist Tracey Spicer will seek to turn the page on the emerging bias in artificial intelligence as part of an annual lecture created in memory of Newcastle librarian Jennie Humble.
Once confined to the science fiction books Ms Humble loved to read, AI has become the most transformative technological advancement in the modern era.
But, according to Ms Spicer’s new book Man-Made, its development has the potential to further embed gender and race-based bias into our society.
Ms Spicer will explore the future of tech and AI through a feminist lens as the guest speaker of this year’s the Humble Lecture, which will be held at Wallsend Library on Friday 4 August from 7pm.
The free annual event was established by City of Newcastle five years ago in honour of Ms Humble, a valued member of the Library’s Digital Services team who sadly passed away following a battle with cancer in 2018.
With a focus on innovation, the inaugural lecture featured globally recognised futurist, Shara Evans, while subsequent events have included renowned journalist Stan Grant and founder of food rescue charity, OzHarvest, Ronni Kahn.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Humble Lecture provided a fitting tribute for the devoted City of Newcastle staff member.
“Jennie Humble was a passionate librarian, who helped shape our digital engagement with our loyal library membership and wider community via our website, social media channels and digital library service design,” Ms Nelmes said.
“The Humble Lecture has become a highly anticipated annual event featuring innovative and inspiring speakers, which we are proud to present as an ongoing tribute to Ms Humble’s own passion and dedication to her work.
“I encourage anyone interested to register for their free ticket now as numbers are limited and this event always books out quickly.”
The Humble Lecture is being presented as part of National Library and Information Week, which runs from 31 July to 6 August with the theme ‘Where’s the Source?’.
Escalating ETU and AMWU industrial action is having an impact at UGL’s Newcastle plants as workers prepare to walk off the job again on Friday to fight for fair pay.
More than 120 workers, including electrical and mechanical trades, will stop work for 24 hours on July 14 at the Broadmeadow site of train builder UGL Newcastle operations. It comes after another 60 workers stopped work early Thursday morning, following the start of the protected industrial action in early July.
“Union members are determined to continue with industrial action at the Broadmeadow and Hamilton North plants until they get a fair deal.” ETU NSW/ACT Branch Secretary Allen Hicks said.
Members are being paid $7 less an hour than their peers at competing companies, and are asking for an 18 per cent pay rise over three years.
Mr Hicks says the current EBA expired in April and members have been negotiating with the company for eight months.
“The ball is in UGL’s court to improve its inadequate offer that fails to keep pace with remuneration offered by its competitors,” Mr Hicks said.
“Our members just want to take home pay commensurate with their industry peers, and that lets them provide for their families and pay the bills as the cost of living bites.
“UGL has said it is struggling to attract and retain workers because of low pay. A no-brainer way to keep workers on is to pay them properly.
“We’ve come to the table and compromised; it’s time for UGL to do the same and scrap its wholly inadequate pay offer that shortchanges workers.”
A $10 million indoor aquatic facility at Lambton Park War Memorial Swimming Centre is part of a tender the City of Newcastle has placed on public notice, for the operation of Newcastle’s five swimming pools.
Proposed upgrades by BlueFit Pty Ltd, who have been managing Lambton Swimming Centre since 2014, will also include a gym, new kiosk and new changerooms.
BlueFit has also committed to building accessibility facilities at each of the city’s five pools at Lambton, Wallsend, Beresfield, Stockton and Mayfield.
Under the proposed lease of seven years with two possible seven-year extensions and currently on public notice, BlueFit would commit $5 million as part of their successful tender to operate the city’s pools.
A decision on whether to award BlueFit the contract to manage Newcastle’s local pools will not be made until August following a public notice process that invites comments on the proposed lease.
CN staff have also developed a business case for the internal operation of the pools, which will be considered alongside the external tenders, prior to a final decision by the CEO in August.
The proposed upgrades at Lambton Swimming Centre would see 10 new or improved facilities:
A new 25m indoor warm water pool for improved programs and year-round operations
A new indoor toddlers’ pool and changerooms for year-round operations
Refurbishment of the amenities block and changerooms
Accessible change facilities
New health and fitness facilities
New accessibility features for pool access
Upgraded kiosk and cafe
Upgraded Swimming Centre entrance
Improved administration facilities
New multi-purpose room
City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said a year-round indoor facility at Lambton Swimming Centre was the key request from community consultation on its 20-year pools strategy, adopted in May.
“BlueFit has done preliminary work on an indoor aquatic facility as part of their tender proposal and we are sharing the images to help the community gain a sense of what these improvements at Lambton could look like,” he said.
“BlueFit’s proposal also includes freezing entry fees at all local pools this Summer season, ensuring that Newcastle pools remain the region’s most affordable. Beresfield Pool, which has long had the lowest entry fee of any local pool, will see its general admission fee further reduced to $2.90 when it reopens at the end of September.
“BlueFit has also confirmed that if they are awarded the contract to manage our local swimming pools, local private swimming school operator Joy Of Water will be able to continue to provide swimming lessons from Beresfield Pool as they have done for the past few years.”
Lambton, Mayfield, Wallsend and Stockton Swimming Centres have been operated by BlueFit since 2014. Beresfield has been managed under a hybrid arrangement with the pool managed in-house and BlueFit operating the turnstiles and kiosk since 2017.
Mr Bath said that the decision to place the proposed lease on public notice follows a detailed review by him of the proposal and financial modelling, as well as six weeks of further consultation with key stakeholders including councillors, unions, local MPs and staff.
“During the past six weeks I’ve reached out to multiple stakeholders, including councillors and unions. An invitation was extended to the State Member for Wallsend; however, I received no response,” Mr Bath said.
“My decision to place the lease on public notice was also influenced by the fact that the four local pools managed by BlueFit for the past nine years enjoy significantly lower entry fees than pools operated by other local councils.
“Part of my review during the past six weeks was to determine if ratepayers would be better off if City of Newcastle returned to managing its five local swimming centres, rather than BlueFit.
“This review found that if City of Newcastle were to once again manage its pools, the cost to ratepayers would be up to $39 million more than when compared to the cost of BlueFit managing them.
“This cost will send Council’s budget into deficit in at least two of the next five years. To avoid this impact, management would need to consider options such as increasing entry fees or re-prioritising other services or projects.
“The four swimming centres already managed locally by BlueFit enjoy a customer satisfaction rating of 85%, which is higher than the region’s many other public and private swimming centres.”
BlueFit’s tender provides value for money to ratepayers.
Customer service outcomes will be enhanced via the construction of a year-round aquatic facility at Lambton Park War Memorial Swimming Centre including new indoor pools, a gym and new changerooms, as well as installation of accessible facilities at all five sites.
The contract does not involve the sale or disposal of the pools, noting Mayfield and Lambton are on Crown Land and cannot be sold.
BlueFit operated local swimming centres enjoy extremely high customer satisfaction ratings.
Pool users will financially benefit from BlueFit’s decision to freeze or reduce pool entry fees this season.
BlueFit’s $5 million capital investment favourably benchmarks with other outsourced pool contracts in NSW, the ACT and Queensland.
BlueFit’s tender is consistent with CN’s adopted Inland Pools Strategy 2043.
BlueFit is a responsible employer with a remuneration structure that exceeds the relevant award.
External management of our local pools by an industry-leading organisation reduces risk to ratepayers.
CN has undertaken a robust tender process, which has been overseen by an independent probity advisor.
Submissions in writing should be addressed to The City of Newcastle, Inland Pools Lease, PO Box 489, Newcastle, 2300 and be received by close of business Monday 31 July 2023.
Proud Yuwi man Dylan Mooney from Brisbane, and Sydney-based artists Diana Baker-Smith and Agus Wijaya will also have their work on show to passers-by during the construction phase of the Art Gallery’s major expansion project.
