A man reported missing from the state’s Hunter Region has been located safe and well.
The 19-year-old was last seen was last seen leaving a home at Greta Street, Kurri Kurri, about 7pm yesterday (Tuesday 27 July 2021).
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District were notified after he failed to return and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.
Just after 8pm (Wednesday 28 July 2021), a member of the public located the man in Maitland and contacted police.
Police would like to thank the community and media for their assistance.
Author: admin
Charges laid after police pursuit – Lake Macquarie
Nine people, including eight teenagers, have been charged following a police pursuit in the Hunter region today.
About 11.15am (Wednesday 28 July 2021), officers attached to Newcastle-Hunter Traffic and Highway Patrol observed a grey Honda Civic allegedly travelling at speed southbound on the Hunter Expressway.
The vehicle allegedly reached speeds in excess of 200km/h in a sign-posted 110km/h zone. A pursuit was initiated at Church Street, Minmi, before being terminated in Wallsend, due to the manner of driving.
The vehicle was subsequently sighted by several police vehicles across Newcastle City and Lake Macquarie Police Districts, before being abandoned at Arthur Street, Cardiff, shortly after midday.
A perimeter was established by officers from Lake Macquarie, Newcastle City, Port Stephens-Hunter and Hunter Valley Police Districts, assisted by PolAir, the Dog Unit and the Police Transport Command.
Following inquiries, a 19-year-old woman and eight teenagers – aged between 13 and 17 – were arrested and taken to Belmont Police Station.
The woman was charged with being carried in a conveyance without the owner’s consent and breaching bail.
She was refused bail to appear in Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 29 July 2021).
A 15-year-old teenage boy was charged with police pursuit – drive dangerously, drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, take & drive conveyance without consent of owner and not give particulars to other driver.
He was refused bail to appear in a children’s court today (Thursday 29 July 2021).
A 16-year-old teenage boy was charged with breaching bail and being carried in a conveyance without the owner’s consent.
He was granted conditional bail to appear before a children’s court on Monday 2 August 2021.
The other six teens were released into the care of their respective parents and will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
All nine will be issued with PINs for failing to comply with noticed direction in relation to Section 7/8/9 – COVID 19.
Commissioner confirms formal request for ADF assistance
NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has confirmed he has made a formal request to the federal government for Australian Defence Force (ADF) assistance with the ongoing COVID-19 compliance operation.
The NSW Police Force is significantly expanding its enforcement activities in Sydney over the coming days and has requested 300 ADF personnel to boost its operational footprint.
Commissioner Fuller said the NSW Police Force and the ADF had forged a close relationship throughout the pandemic.
“The assistance of the ADF has been essential over the past 18 months – particularly during last year’s border operation, the ongoing hotel quarantine operation and the assistance provided with logistics support in the Police Operations Centre,” Commissioner Fuller said.
“With an increase in enforcement activity over the coming week, I have now made a formal request to the Prime Minister for ADF personnel to assist with that operation.
“I would like to thank the Prime Minister for his ongoing support.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott welcomed the request for assistance.
“There is a longstanding and highly-professional relationship between the NSW Police Force and the ADF,” Mr Elliott said.
“As I have said previously, support from the Army will add another line of defence to the NSW Government’s crackdown on COVID-19 compliance.
“The Army’s unique skills and training have combined many times with those of our police officers to serve the people of NSW in times of crisis, such as the floods and severe bushfires we’ve experienced in recent years.
“This will be a functional, effective and dynamic team to fight this pandemic.”
Greens call for Government to mandate vaccines for home care workers
The Greens say that older Australians are at significant risk without mandatory COVID -19 vaccines for all aged care workers, including those working in home care and disability care.
“It’s shocking that workers caring for a very vulnerable population in their homes, moving between many households in a day are not a priority for the vaccine rollout”, Greens spokesperson on Ageing Senator Rachel Siewert said.
“So-called ‘strong encouragement’ is not enough, we urgently need a targeted blitz and the introduction of mandatory vaccines similar to residential aged care to ensure all home care workers are vaccinated.
“This Government’s complacency when it comes to the most vulnerable members of the community is reprehensible and it’s not acceptable.
“The Delta variant is in the community and poses a risk to people receiving home care, we need strong and urgent action now.”
COVID-19 Disaster Support Payment Boosted
Increased financial support for hundreds of thousands of workers in New South Wales will be available from next week as part of the Commonwealth Government’s expanded national COVID-19 Disaster Payment.
Payments will continue to support workers in every state and territory who lose hours due to a state government lockdown or public health order.
Eligible workers will receive $750 per week if they lose 20 hours or more of work while those that lose between 8 and less than 20 hours, or a full day of work, will receive a payment of $450 per week.
This new level of payment recognises the significant impact that the new COVID-19 Delta strain is having on communities, businesses and workers.
The Commonwealth Government will provide financial support to those in a declared Commonwealth Hotspot. The provision of financial support outside of these areas will be provided where requested at the cost of state or territory governments.
The new national payment rate will commence for payments processed week commencing 2 August and will be automatically updated for those already in the Services Australia system.
It will be available from day one of any potential lockdown in the future, with claims made from day eight in arrears for the previous seven days. A weekly payment will then be made for the duration of the hotspot declaration.
There will be no liquid assets test applied to eligibility for these payments and an individual does not need to run down personal annual leave.
Individuals who currently receive an income support payment through our social security safety net will receive a weekly payment of $200, in addition to their existing payment, if they can demonstrate they have lost more than 8 hours of work and meet the other eligibility requirements for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment.
Claiming this payment must be done through Services Australia and myGov and will be a separate stand-alone payment. It will be paid weekly for however long the lockdown and Commonwealth Hotspot remains in place.
Our Government will continue to support Australians facing the economic consequences of extended lockdowns.
The Commonwealth Government, through Services Australia, has processed more than 955,000 COVID Disaster Payment claims, paying out more than $490 million to workers in New South Wales and Victoria.
More information about the COVID-19 Disaster Payment can be found on the Services Australia website.
NSW Business Support Package Expansion
The Morrison and Berejiklian Governments continue to work together to support businesses in New South Wales during the current COVID-19 lockdown.
With Greater Sydney set to remain in lockdown until at least 28 August 2021, both governments have agreed to expand the COVID-19 Business Support Payment.
Under the expanded payment, eligible entities, which includes not-for-profits, will now receive payments of between $1,500 and $100,000 per week based on the level of their payroll with the maximum turnover threshold increased from $50 million to $250 million.
The payment will continue to be calculated based on 40 per cent of payroll for businesses that have suffered a 30 per cent or more decline in turnover.
For non-employing businesses, such as sole traders, the payment will remain set at $1,000 per week.
The expanded payment will now cover more than 400,000 businesses employing 3.3 million workers in NSW subject to eligibility.
The payment will also provide more substantial support for businesses to cover unavoidable costs such as rent, insurance and maintenance as well as employee costs during an extended lockdown.
The expanded support will continue to be conditional on businesses maintaining their employee headcount as at 13 July (covering permanent and long-term casual employees) by not taking active steps to terminate their employment.
This will help maintain the connection between employers and employees and in doing so support the economic recovery once restrictions are eased.
The expanded payment will take effect from 18 July 2021, the start of the program. Businesses that have already submitted an application will not need to do anything, their payment will be automatically adjusted consistent with the expanded program.
Workers who have lost hours will continue to be supported by the COVID-19 disaster payment with more than 812,000 claims granted in NSW to date with more than $411 million in weekly payments.
The Prime Minister Scott Morrison said as NSW’s restrictions looked set to continue, his government had been developing options to supercharge the partnership with NSW to support businesses.
“These businesses are the ones we all need still standing to drive the recovery on the other side,” the Prime Minister said.
“Our support has never been set and forget and even before Service NSW had started to deliver the support on Monday that we announced earlier this month, my government had been looking at what else businesses would require to strongly emerge on the other side of this lockdown.
“Whether you’re a worker who has lost their income or a business that’s suffering, even more help is on the way.”
The Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said as the virus and the situation in NSW continues to evolve so does the Morrison Government’s response.
“The expansion of the NSW COVID-19 Business Payment remains consistent with the approach we have taken throughout the pandemic in delivering temporary, targeted and proportionate economic support,” the Treasurer said.
“Up to an additional 1,900 businesses employing around 300,000 people could benefit from the expanded eligibility while increasing the cap will also make the payment more generous for some businesses currently accessing support.”
Businesses should contact Services NSW or visit https://www.service.nsw.gov.au/ for more information.
Entrepreneurs set to bolster local economy
Thirty talented and entrepreneurial individuals have been selected to relocate to Newcastle as part of an Australian-first economic stimulus program.
The City’s ‘New Move’ talent attraction program incentivised skilled professionals in existing and emerging industries to relocate to Newcastle with a $10,000 grant to be spent in the Local Government Area.
Over 460 expressions of interest were received from around the globe including the Netherlands, Mexico, Hong Kong, Canada and India.
The ‘10,000 Reasons’ digital marketing campaign has been viewed more than 5.5 million times, effectively promoting Newcastle as a city of opportunity.
The successful applicants bring expertise and investment in areas such as clean energy, defence, health and tech development like artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality. Several are start-up founders and will be establishing their business ventures in Newcastle.
At the same time as the New Move Program, City of Newcastle is investing almost $400,000 in local training to connect locals with Newcastle’s emerging economic opportunities. The NewSkills training program will be delivered by specialist training providers through workshops, self-paced learning, intensive programs and mentoring over the next 12 months.
From assisting businesses to become more inclusive, to building resilience to market disruptions including COVID-19, the NewSkills training programs seek to close skills gaps in the local workforce.
NewSkills follows the City’s highly successful Tourism Product Development Program which provided 15 local businesses with training and business mentoring to develop new visitor experiences and products that leverage Newcastle’s unique offering to visitors, to sustain and grow Newcastle’s visitor economy.
The New Move grant recipients are required to adhere to the latest COVID-19 Public Health Orders when planning their relocation to Newcastle, when allowed to do so.
To view a video from the New Move curated ‘Famil’ weekend, visit.
Ordinary Council Meeting Tuesday 27 July 2021
Following is a summary of resolutions from the Ordinary Council meeting of Tuesday 27 July 2021. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.
Lord Mayoral Minutes
Strategies to help ameliorate homelessness in Newcastle
A Lord Mayoral Minute was supported that called for City of Newcastle to receive a report on partnering with NSW Government agencies, Hunter Community Alliance leaders, Soul Cafe and civil society to establish a 24-month pilot of safe rough sleeping zones. City of Newcastle will also work with NSW Land and Housing Corporation to develop a Memorandum of Understanding to expedite the delivery of new and refurbished social and affordable housing, including the exploration of a ‘Make Room Project’ in Newcastle. The Lord Mayoral Minute reiterated the urgency for City of Newcastle to finalise and implement its Affordable Housing Contributions Scheme.
Infrastructure Australia 2022 Infrastructure Priority List
A Lord Mayoral Minute was carried unanimously that called for City of Newcastle to prepare a submission of 15 infrastructure priorities, including Catalyst Area Projects as outlined in the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan 2036, to seek their inclusion in the Infrastructure Australia 2022 Infrastructure Priority List. It recognised that City of Newcastle’s previous advocacy to Infrastructure Australia led to Infrastructure Australia listing the ‘Newcastle Airport Capacity Expansion’ as a Priority Initiative in 2021, before the project was funded by the Federal Government earlier this year.
Bring Back JobKeeper
A Lord Mayoral Minute was carried that supported a bi-partisan calls from the NSW Treasurer and NSW Leader of the Opposition for the urgent reintroduction of JobKeeper for businesses impacted by the continued pandemic, while also expanding eligibility to casuals, the University sector, local government and the childcare industry. City of Newcastle will write to the Prime Minister, the Federal Treasurer, and their respective Shadow Ministers, along with the Federal Member for Newcastle, advising them of the City’s position and advocacy.
Ordinary business
Adoption of Draft Community Infrastructure Incentive Policy
Council voted to adopt the Community Infrastructure Incentives Policy, which is designed to enhance the delivery of community infrastructure to support urban renewal in Newcastle through the provision of development incentives.
A Planning Proposal will be prepared to amend the Newcastle Local Environmental Plan 2012 and the Newcastle Development Control Plan 2012 to enable implementation of the Policy, initially focussing on supporting implementation of the Wickham Masterplan.
Newcastle Art Gallery Expansion funding options
Council voted to endorse borrowing up to $22.6 million by way of low-cost loan over 10 years as the preferred funding pathway for the expansion of the Newcastle Art Gallery. A Loan Borrowing Report will be separately submitted seeking Council approval to borrow funds from NSW Treasury Corporation (T-Corp), including a capital expenditure review in accordance with Office of Local Government guidelines. City of Newcastle will continue to seek Federal and State grant funding up until the time of borrowing loan funds from T-Corp to ensure all available grant funding options have been exhausted prior to commencing the project.
Frederick Street, Merewether – proposed raised pedestrian crossings
Council resolved to approve raised pedestrian crossings on Frederick Street, Merewether, at Coane Street and at Berner Street.
Acquisition of Part 64 Mackie Avenue, New Lambton
Council voted not to acquire part of the property known as 64 Mackie Avenue, New Lambton for road widening purposes.
Investment and Borrowing Policy annual review
Council voted to adopt the draft Investment and Borrowing Policy and in doing so terminate the previously approved Investment and Borrowing Policy. Investment Policy Guidelines issued by the Department of Premier and Cabinet, May 2010, recommend that a council’s investment policy be reviewed, and any amendments approved, by council resolution annually.
Authorisation for signing of the annual Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2021
Council noted that the preparation of City of Newcastle’s Financial Statements for the year ended 30 June 2021 is underway and upon completion they will be referred to CN’s Auditors, NSW Audit Office. Council voted to authorise the Lord Mayor, a Councillor, the Chief Executive Officer and the Responsible Accounting Officer to sign the Statements by Councillors and Management at the conclusion of the external audit.
Hunter and Central Coast Joint Regional Planning Panel temporary membership
Council voted to appoint a second planning expert to replace the Director Governance as a temporary City of Newcastle representative to the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel for one matter only, being consideration of the rezoning review following Council’s decision to not endorse a Planning Proposal to rezone 505 Minmi Road, Fletcher.
Notices of Motion
Vandalism of New Lambton parks
Council adopted a notice of motion to express frustration and disappointment at the vandalism of local parks and sporting fields in New Lambton by a motor vehicle. The motion noted previous efforts to prevent illegal vehicle access and vandalism, including the installation of large sandstone blocks along Birdwood Street in 2020, and a commitment to install sandstone blocks to restrict vehicle access from Orchardtown Road. It called for witnesses to come forward to ensure those responsible for the damage of public property can be held accountable.
Improving connectivity between Wickham and Wickham Park
Council adopted a notice of motion to write to Transport for NSW and the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment seeking support to temporarily open a pathway across the Bullock Island Rail Corridor between Wickham and Wickham Park, and for ongoing acquisition negotiations between City of Newcastle and Transport for NSW to be prioritised.
Property development
Council adopted a notice of motion calling on the CEO of City of Newcastle to submit this motion to the LGNSW Conference in support of the adoption of a policy which prohibits property developers and their close associates from holding office as local Councillors in NSW. The motion also called for the CEO to write to the NSW Premier and the Minister for Local Government in support of a bill on the same topic, which was passed by the Legislative Council and is currently before the Legislative Assembly.
Development notification for boarding house residents
Council adopted a notice of motion to write to Boarding House operators in the Newcastle Local Government Area advising them of a new notification process to ensure their tenants are reasonably notified of a Development Application relating to the Boarding House. This includes requiring the operator to advise boarders that a DA has been lodged, place a copy of the DA application in a common area of the Boarding House and notify boarders when the DA has been determined, including the outcome.
Best practice employment conditions for construction workers undertaking City of Newcastle projects
Council adopted a notice of motion to ensure that all major construction projects for Council are undertaken by organisations with current Enterprise Agreements registered with the Fair Work Commission. The motion noted that the best employment conditions and work health and safety standards are often achieved as a result of the collective power of trade unionism, and the ability for workers to take collective action and negotiate their terms of employment through Enterprise Agreements.
Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster
Council adopted a notice of motion to request a briefing from NewH2 – Hunter Hydrogen Technology Cluster on opportunities for City of Newcastle to support and accelerate the emerging hydrogen economy locally, and receive a report regarding options including but not limited to developing and maintaining supporting infrastructure, connecting local businesses with industry, and early adoption of hydrogen technologies for specialised uses within Council operations.
Protecting our urban forest through an aerial bundled cabling program
Council adopted a notice of motion that notes City of Newcastle’s commitment to achieving the best outcome for the City’s urban forest by working with Ausgrid to identify key sites where essential service lines and significant tree stands intersect. It noted the need for an Aerial Bundled Cabling (ABC) Program by City of Newcastle and Ausgrid, which identifies priorities and systematically plans for the conversion to bundled cabling or application of other engineering solutions. The motion also called for Council to engage with the Australian Energy Regulator to advocate for funding, including State and Federal funding, for the development and implementation of engineering solutions.
Love Lambton 150 Years – celebrating local community heritage milestones
Council adopted a notice of motion that notes the success of the Love Lambton 150 Years event, acknowledges the volunteers and City of Newcastle staff involved in organising it and recognises the financial support provided by the City, with a call to ensure City of Newcastle annually promotes the existence of its grant programs.
Certainty for the community as restrictions adjusted and vaccines ramped up
Given low vaccination rates, the current stay at home orders will remain in place for another four weeks (until Saturday, 28 August at 12.01am) across Greater Sydney including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour.
This extra time will allow NSW residents to significantly increase the uptake of vaccines in areas most affected by the current outbreak and across the state.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said higher vaccination rates and following the health orders are the only way to guarantee the further easing of restrictions.
“Though the Pfizer supply is insufficient there is plenty of AstraZeneca, and updated federal health advice recommends anyone aged 18 and over in Greater Sydney should access the jab,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“If you are unvaccinated, please organise a jab as soon as you possibly can, especially if you live in an LGA of concern.”
Other restriction changes are as follows:
From midnight tonight (28 July):
- In line with exercise rules, Greater Sydney residents including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour must limit their shopping to within their Local Government Area (LGA) or, if outside their LGA, within 10km from home, unless the item is not available locally.
- Given localised case numbers, the Parramatta, Campbelltown and Georges River LGAs will join the five existing LGAs of concern which are subject to an Authorised Workers Order. Only authorised workers in these eight LGAs may leave their LGA for work.
The five previously announced LGAs of concern are Canterbury-Bankstown, Fairfield, Liverpool, Blacktown and Cumberland.
From 12.01am, Saturday, 31 July:
- Construction in non-occupied settings outside of the LGAs of concern (with no residents on-site) will re-open as planned, subject to a one person per 4sqm rule. These low-risk construction sites must have COVID safe plans in place, compliance will be strictly enforced. Construction cannot resume in the eight LGAs of concern, nor will construction workers be allowed to leave these areas.
- Trades people, including cleaners who are able to work with zero contact with residents will also be allowed to resume (no more than two people inside and five outside). If contactless arrangements are not possible, work cannot go ahead. This work will not be allowed in the eight LGAs of concern, nor will workers be allowed to leave these areas.
- A singles bubble will also be introduced, allowing people who live alone to nominate one designated family member or friend to visit for companionship. Restrictions will apply for people in the LGAs of concern.
Changes to surveillance testing (enforceable from Saturday, 31 July):
- All authorised workers from Canterbury-Bankstown LGA must get tested once every three days in order to leave their LGA for work.
- People who live in the Fairfield and Cumberland LGAs but work outside these areas as health or aged care workers (including support services for health or aged care, such as cleaners, cooks and security providers) must be tested once every three days in order to be allowed to go to work outside their LGA.
- These surveillance testing requirements will be enforceable from Saturday, 31 July. However, relevant workers will have from today to get their first test.
Year 12 students are also set to return to face-to-face learning on Monday, 16 August, with the Government finalising plans for the resumption of in-class study under strict COVID protocols.
The NSW Government is also working with industry and the Department of Education to introduce Rapid Antigen Testing to mitigate against outbreaks in workplaces and schools.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro said restrictions in regional NSW will remain unchanged.
“The lockdown in Greater Sydney and every measure and precaution we implement is not only for the residents of Sydney but to protect regional NSW and to prevent the virus reaching our regional communities,” Mr Barilaro said.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet welcomed the Commonwealth Government’s commitment to provide additional support for those hardest hit during this pandemic.
“Working with our federal counterparts we are providing extra support to ensure the businesses and people who have been hit hardest by this pandemic get the financial assistance they need to get through this crisis and back on the path to recovery,” Mr Perrottet said.
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said though the stay-at-home restrictions are difficult for the community this is a critical time if we are to suppress the outbreak.
“The vast majority of the community has been absolutely fantastic to date and have followed the public health advice. Though we are easing some restrictions today we need people to redouble their efforts as we continue to battle the Delta variant in the coming weeks,” Mr Hazzard said.
“We need people to stay at home unless absolutely necessary to leave and the best reason for most people to leave home right now is to get vaccinated. In doing so, you are taking a vital step to protect yourself, your loved ones and the community.”
For the latest information visit www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19
Greater Sydney construction to reopen this week
Construction will resume in Greater Sydney including the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong and Shellharbour this week with new COVID protocols to be introduced to keep workers and worksites safe.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro today outlined the roadmap forward and said the NSW Government had worked closely with industry to plan this reopening, creating the construction COVID-19 safety plan, and he commends the industry’s ongoing commitment to tackling the virus.
“Construction will resume on Saturday, 31 July, with safety measures such as controls on movements between sites, reduced contact between workers within sites, improved tracing capability and a focus on encouraging workers to get vaccinated,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Works in occupied premises including residential homes can also resume from this Saturday where there is zero contact between workers and residents. There will be a limit of up to two workers for indoor services and five workers for outdoor services, and works will only be possible where it is feasible for residents to vacate the area. If contactless arrangements are not possible, work cannot go ahead.
“Unfortunately, construction will not resume in the eight LGAs of concern – Fairfield, Blacktown, Cumberland, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Liverpool, Parramatta and Georges River Local Government Areas.
“However, businesses in those LGAs which are part of the construction supply chain will be permitted to operate. Construction supply chain workers will be added to the authorised workers list and will be allowed to leave their local area for work, subject to meeting COVID-19 surveillance testing requirements. This includes workers engaged in manufacturing of construction materials, plant and components.
“I can also announce that as part of our plan to reopen construction, worksites will be able to operate on Sundays and public holidays for the remainder of the year, up until Christmas, to make up for any time lost.”
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the construction industry was vital to the State’s economy and reopening the industry safely was crucial to keeping hundreds of thousands of people in jobs.
“Getting workers back on the tools as soon as possible has always been our priority, but we need to ensure it is done as safely as possible to protect both workers and the community,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The construction COVID-19 safety plan builds on the COVID safe measures already in place at many worksites, but we’re now applying that consistently right across the sector.
“We have worked with the industry over the past two weeks to get the right outcome and I would like to thank the sector for their constructive engagement. I would also like to acknowledge the willingness of the industry to take the lead in trials in the application of Rapid Antigen Testing and local vaccination services at sites, consistent with guidance from NSW Health.”
A defined list of preparatory works may commence on worksites from tomorrow to enable sites to reopen safely, with limited workforces on site to ensure COVID safe measures are in place, that equipment and plant can be restarted safely and that all utilities are in order.