Category: Newcastle News

A new accessible changeroom at Wallsend Swimming Centre has been completed as part of an estimated $1.25 million of accessibility improvements for City of Newcastle’s (CN) inland pool network.

The work is the first accessibility project to be prioritised under the unanimously adopted Inland Pools Strategy 2043, which sets out a strategic path to enhance and protect Newcastle’s public pools for the community during the next 20 years.

Its completion means that all five of CN’s swimming centres now provide accessible amenities, ensuring a more inclusive swimming experience for all members of the community.

Future projects proposed in the Strategy include the installation of accessible entry into each of CN’s 50-metre pools, with investigations into the most appropriate means for improving access into the pools now underway.

Refurbished accessible changeroom facilities are also proposed for Lambton Swimming Centre as part of improvements in the future.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said improving access to the city’s pools was a priority for CN.

“City of Newcastle is committed to maintaining and investing in our network of inland swimming centres to ensure they continue to meet the expectations and evolving needs of more than 320,000 people who visit them each year,” Cr Nelmes said.

“That’s why we developed our Inland Pools Strategy 2043, which sets out an investment plan for Newcastle’s network of public swimming pools to ensure they are fit-for-purpose in the long term and made accessible to all members of the community.

“Accessibility is an issue facing councils across the region given almost all local pools were built more than fifty years ago.”

Councillor Margaret Wood, co-chair of CN’s Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee, praised CN for completing the accessible changeroom at Wallsend Swimming Centre this season.

“Ensuring accessibility into, around and within activity spaces for all members of the community regardless of their age or ability is one of the key principles used to guide the investment and improvement direction of our Inland Pools Strategy,” Cr Wood said.

“The completion of the new changeroom at Wallsend Swimming Centre sees this priority become a reality and will be a welcome addition to this popular community facility.

“With accessible changerooms now available at all five of CN’s swimming pools, City of Newcastle has ensured a more comfortable and inclusive experience for everyone visiting our pools this summer.

“I look forward to seeing future projects continue to improve access to our pools for all members of our community.”

The four-decade relationship between City of Newcastle (CN) and its Sister City in Japan has been commemorated in person thanks to the visit of a delegation from Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The COVID-19 pandemic prevented the milestone being marked in 2020, making it almost 43 years to the day since Newcastle’s first female Lord Mayor, the late Joy Cummings, joined the Mayor of Ube to sign the agreement.

Current Ube Mayor Keiji Shinozaki, his fellow councillors and members of the Ube-Newcastle Sister City Friendship Society were greeted by Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk, Councillor Margaret Wood and Councillor Katrina Wark at Blackbutt Reserve, where a tree was planted to commemorate the 40th anniversary before the Japanese delegation had the chance to meet some local wildlife.

Cr Nelmes said the relationship between the two cities has delivered countless benefits over the years.

“Despite being 7,700 kilometres apart, Newcastle and Ube have developed strong connections in education, youth exchange, economics, sport and art, with Newcastle Art Gallery holding one of the largest collections of Sodeisha ceramics outside Japan,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Local high schools such as Newcastle, Merewether, Kotara and Wallsend have participated in annual student exchanges with Ube, which provide an immersive cultural experience, while the University of Newcastle’s Language Centre embraces Japanese language, art and culture.

“There’s an event called the Newcastle Fair in Ube, where visitors can experience the cultural aspects of Newcastle. In 2019, Ube City gifted the winners of the Japanese Speech Contest held in Newcastle a trip to attend this fair.

“I’m proud to represent City of Newcastle and continue the legacy of Joy Cummings, who was instrumental in the establishment of the Sister City link, believing the port harbour cities with similar populations and industrial backgrounds in coal exports and steel manufacturing had much in common.”

A symbolic exchange of gifts took place 43 years ago with City of Newcastle presenting Ube officials with an inscribed plaque bearing the city’s coat of arms, while Ube provided Newcastle with a Kabuto (Samurai Helmet).

That tradition continued when Mayor Shinozaki and the Japanese delegation attended a welcome reception and dinner on Monday at City Hall, where more gifts were exchanged and a treaty was signed to recommit the Sister City relationship.

The tour of Newcastle continued on Tuesday with the Ube City officials visiting the CSIRO Energy Centre at Mayfield West, the Port of Newcastle, Nihon University’s Newcastle Campus and the Anzac Memorial Walk.

CN currently has three other adopted Sister City relationships including the Californian city of Arcadia, the English city of Newcastle upon Tyne, and the central western NSW town of Dubbo.

The relationships are designed to promote and encourage friendship and cooperation between local governments, business leaders and the wider community, in addition to facilitating cultural exchange programs and economic development.

Innovative new technology is being trialled by City of Newcastle (CN) to help improve parking management and safety across the Local Government Area.

Licence plate recognition technology mounted to the roof of an electronic vehicle (EV) will assist CN parking officers detect vehicles that exceed timed parking restrictions or that are parked illegally.

With more than 6,500 customer requests received by CN each year relating to parking issues, the new technology will supplement foot patrols to improve the efficiency of parking compliance and enable staff to focus on other educational based activities.

In line with neighbouring councils in the Hunter, tickets generated will now be issued by Revenue NSW via Australia Post to the registered vehicle owner, rather than attached to windscreens by parking officers.

The new technology and streamlined process will play an important role in supporting safe parking and enforcement across Newcastle.

City of Newcastle parking officers are reporting an increasing number of incidents of aggressive and inappropriate behaviour from members of the public while undertaking their work on Newcastle streets. These new measures will help provide a safer working environment for staff.

Local business precincts are also set to benefit with improved short-term parking turnover and making parking more readily available for the community.

Neighbouring councils in the region have already rolled out similar technology and CN is trialling this technology with an EV car.

City of Newcastle’s ‘On the street’ Parking Plan 2021 and associated Parking Implementation Plan 2021 highlight the need to support enforcement activities currently undertaken by CN parking officers.

United Services Union (USU) Official Luke Hutchinson welcomed the trial for the safety and wellbeing of CN parking officers.

“This technology will provide improved workplace conditions for parking officers by decreasing their interaction with members of the public and better enabling them to carry out their work safely, in all weather conditions,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“City of Newcastle has the USU’s full support in taking action to address the challenges parking officers face in the workplace and look forward to the outcomes of the trial.

“The USU calls on all members of the community to treat all workers with respect especially when they are endeavouring to provide equitable access to the city for everyone.”

For more information visit City of Newcastle’s parking webpage.

The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) will visit the Hunter and Central Coast regions next week when it resumes it rural and regional outreach program to bring anti-corruption initiatives and training to centres across the state.

The visit, to be based in Newcastle and the Central Coast, marks the first time the program has been conducted since it was put on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This will also be the first outreach visit for the Commission’s current Chief Commissioner, the Hon John Hatzistergos AM, who said he is very keen to see this important initiative resume.

“The Rural and Regional Outreach program is an important way for the Commission to connect with public officials and communities outside the metropolitan area, in a way that is more personable than remotely tuning in to workshops and talks,” Chief Commissioner Hatzistergos said.

“While we are, of course, now in an age when having that remote connectivity is very important and a way of life, I believe that the experience of sharing information in person is invaluable. The Commission will conduct workshops as part of this visit to help state and local government agencies learn the latest ways to prevent corrupt conduct. We will also be conducting activities to help raise awareness in the broader community about corruption risks and the roles and functions of the ICAC, and as part of that I am looking forward to hosting my first Community Leaders Forum in Newcastle next Tuesday morning.”

The community leaders’ forum on 28 November will feature a panel discussion with Chief Commissioner Hatzistergos, NSW Ombudsman Paul Miller PSM and Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) Chief Commissioner Peter Johnson SC. The agency leaders will discuss the roles of their organisations, and how the community can contribute to helping oversight agencies fulfil their functions.

Workshops scheduled for this visit include corruption prevention for managers, which focuses on developing an understanding of the nature of corruption, how and why it occurs, and what managers can do to prevent it; fact-finder, which is an introductory workshop for those who may be required to conduct an internal fact-finding investigation into a complaint or allegations of staff wrongdoing, including misconduct or corruption; corruption prevention in procurement and contract management, which aims to assist managers and staff responsible for procurement to identify where systems weaknesses and corruption opportunities may lie; corruption prevention and grant administration; and corruption prevention for Local Aboriginal Land Councils.

The NSW Ombudsman is responsible for promoting public awareness and understanding of the Public Interest Disclosures Act 2022 (“the PID Act”) which came into effect last month. The Ombudsman’s Office will conduct workshops that will provide an outline of the new PID Act, focusing on the importance of a “speak up” culture as well as the key elements of the new public interest disclosure framework in NSW.

The Ombudsman’s office will also hold workshops on managing unreasonable conduct by a complainant, fundamentals of complains handling and administrative law in the public sector.

Approximately 70 people will attend the community leaders’ forum, including elected representatives and senior staff from local and state government agencies and community interest groups.

The Outreach program will run for two weeks, with workshops and visits to be held or undertaken in locations including Newcastle, Raymond Terrace, Swansea, Williamtown, Speers Point, Muswellbrook, Maitland, Scone, Singleton, Gosford and Wyong. In the lead-up to the program next week, school visits were undertaken last month in Newcastle, Hamilton, Erina, Erina Heights and Fletcher.

The ICAC rural and regional outreach program has proved highly successful since its inception in 2001. Previous visits have included to the Illawarra, western NSW, the south-east, the central west, the north coast, the northern inland, the south coast, the far west, Riverina Murray and the Blue Mountains. The Commission’s rural and regional outreach program was scheduled to visit the Hunter and Central Coast in 2020, but it was put on hold due to the pandemic. The last visit to the region was to the Central Coast in 2011, and Newcastle in 2008.

A man has been charged following an investigation into an alleged carjacking in the Lake Macquarie area yesterday.

Just before 2.30pm (Sunday 19 November 2023), police were called to Groves Road, Bennetts Green, following reports of a carjacking.

Police were told a man allegedly got into the driver’s seat of a vehicle parked on Groves Road, before driving away towards the Pacific Highway, with a one-year-old child asleep in the backseat.

The man stopped the vehicle in a carpark on Groves Road before getting out of the car and running across the Pacific Highway.

The child was not injured.

Following extensive inquiries, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District arrested a 27-year-old man at a home on Cherry Street, Windale, about 3pm today (Monday 20 November 2023).

He was taken to Belmont Police Station where he was charged with unlawfully take/drive motor vehicle with person in/on it, take & drive conveyance without consent of owner, and learner not accompanied by driver/police officer/tester.

The man was refused bail to appear before Belmont Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 21 November 2023).

A man has died in hospital following a crash near Lake Macquarie earlier this month.

About 7.50am on Friday 3 November 2023, emergency services were called to Munibung Road, Cardiff, following reports of a single vehicle crash.

Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District arrived to find a BMW sedan had crashed into a telegraph pole.

The driver, a 35-year-old man, and the passenger, a 19-year-old man, were both treated at scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in critical conditions.

A crime scene was established, and officers attached to the Crash Investigation Unit launched an investigation into the incident.

Police have since been notified the 19-year-old man died in hospital on Tuesday (14 November 2023) . The driver remains in hospital in a serious condition.

Inquiries are continuing.

A man has been charged after a toddler’s leg was broken in the Hunter yesterday.

Around 10am on Thursday 16 November 2023, emergency services were called to a shopping centre on Main Road, Cardiff, following reports of an injured child.

Police were told a man riding an electric scooter had lost control before the scooter crashed into the toddler.

The man immediately retrieved his scooter and left the scene.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated the four-year-girl for a broken leg and a laceration to her face, before taking her to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition, where she underwent surgery.

Following inquiries and a public appeal for information, officers from Lake Macquarie Police District arrested a man at Belmont Police Station, around 12.30pm today (Friday 17 November 2023).

The 37-year-old was charged with grievous bodily harm by negligent act (vehicle) and ride electric scooter on footpath.

The man was granted conditional bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Wednesday 29 November 2023.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a girl missing from the Lake Macquarie area.

Charlotte Oates, aged 12, was last seen on Montgomery Street, Argenton, about 10.30am on Tuesday 14 November 2023.

When she could not be contacted or located, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police Area Command were notified and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for her welfare due to Charlotte’s young age.

Charlotte is described as being of Caucasian appearance with a fair complexion and freckles, about 160cm tall with medium build, and mid-length dark wavy hair which may now be dyed red.

She was last seen wearing a black Champion jumper, dark short tights, a t-shirt and joggers, and was carrying a small black Nike backpack with a burn mark on the front.

Anyone with information into her whereabouts is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are seeking assistance from the public as investigations continue into a robbery in the Newcastle area overnight.

About 9.15pm on Thursday 16 November 2023, police have been told a man entered a service station on Elizabeth Street, Tighes Hill, and threatened the female attendant and demanded money.

The attendant handed over a sum of money from the cash register before the man fled the scene.

The woman was not physically injured.

Officers from Newcastle City Police District were notified and commenced an investigation.

Investigators have released a description of a man who may be able to assist with their inquiries.

The man is described as being aged in his mid40s, dark complexion, about 180cm tall, medium build, wearing a red T-shirt, black shorts and a black face mask.

The Albanese Government is committed to delivering the infrastructure Australia needs, creating jobs and growing the economy while not increasing pressure on inflation.

The independent strategic review found that the Infrastructure Investment Program inherited from the former Coalition Government was undeliverable.

Under the Liberals and Nationals, the number of projects in the Infrastructure Investment Program blew out from nearly 150 to 800.

Many projects lacked proper planning, didn’t have informed costings and weren’t ready for Commonwealth investment.

The review found an estimated $33 billion in known cost pressures across all projects in the program and there is a high risk that figure could increase.

Now that the review has been completed and after considered consultation with the States and Territories, the government has a forward plan of projects that are properly planned and targeted to unlock significant economic, social and environmental objectives.

Here in Newcastle, funding has been confirmed for the following projects:

Project name	Total Australian Government funding ($)
High Speed Rail Authority Priorities	$500,000,000
Newcastle Inner City Bypass, Rankin Park to Jesmond	$360,000,000

The Albanese Government also has a concrete plan for the Pacific Highway with the M1 Pacific Motorway Extension to Raymond Terrace confirmed, of great significance to the region.

In our region and across Australia, the Albanese Government is delivering infrastructure that make communities safer, promotes productivity and unlocks the potential of cities, towns and regions.

Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King said:

“The Albanese Government is committed to delivering infrastructure that builds Australia and improves lives. To do this, we need an infrastructure program that is fit for purpose, fiscally responsible and above all, deliverable.

“We are delivering infrastructure that creates jobs and helps wages grow, and makes our communities better connected and more livable.”

Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon MP said:

“Establishing a High Speed Rail network between Sydney and Newcastle remains a priority for the Albanese Labor Government with a recommitment today of $500 million.”

“The High Speed Rail Authority Board has been set up and held its first board meeting here in Newcastle – a milestone achievement that recognises the lead role our city will play in shaping high-speed rail in Australia.

“Newcastle and our region stands to benefit enormously from the Albanese Labor Government’s commitment to get work on high-speed rail underway – cutting carbon, delivering better connectivity and creating good local jobs and opportunities for industry and business alike.

“It’s time to make high-speed rail a reality in Australia.”