Category: Newcastle News

City of Newcastle has kicked off its NAIDOC Week celebrations with the launch of a new monthly storytime session designed to share First Nations culture with the next generation.

Uncle Amos Simon from Muurrung Marai facilitated the first Sharing Culture Storytime event at Wallsend Library today, connecting his captivated young audience with the Awabakal and Gathung language and culture through songs, dance, yadaki (didgeridoo) and puppets.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said City of Newcastle is proud to support city-wide NAIDOC Week celebrations, reinforcing our strong support for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament through the upcoming constitutional referendum.

“Newcastle has a long and rich history of standing side-by-side with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community to enact positive change, having established the Guaraki Aboriginal Advisory Committee more than two decades ago, while also being the first city to raise the Aboriginal Flag over a civic building under the leadership of former Lord Mayor Joy Cummings,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Today, we are proud to be the first local council in Greater Newcastle to formally endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the ‘Yes’ campaign for constitutional recognition, reflecting the views of our progressive and inclusive community by supporting annual NAIDOC Week celebrations throughout the city.”

Councillor Deahnna Richardson, a proud Wiradjuri woman, said the Sharing Culture Storytime session is among a number of events being held in Newcastle as part of national NAIDOC Week celebrations, which will run from 2 – 9 July.

“This year’s NAIDOC Week theme, ‘For Our Elders’, recognises the key role Elders have played, and continue to play, as the cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors and leaders of our mob,” Cr Richardson said.

“NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity for our community to acknowledge that the story of Australia began far before European settlement, while recognising that First Nations peoples have occupied and cared for our land for over 65,000 years.”

City of Newcastle will support Awabakal Corporation in its peak NAIDOC Week event on Monday 3 July, which will begin with a flag raising in Civic Park at 9am followed by a march to Foreshore Park. Family friendly celebrations featuring stalls, rides, dancing and song will run from 10am to 2pm, giving the community a chance to come together to celebrate First Nations culture, while City of Newcastle will proudly host the Elders Tent.

Guraki Aboriginal Advisory Committee Member Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said City of Newcastle facilities will celebrate our Indigenous culture through a range of exhibitions and activities.

“NAIDOC Week provides an important opportunity for our community to celebrate the stories and rich history of the oldest continuous living culture on Earth,” Cr Winney-Baartz said.

“I encourage everyone to take advantage of the free events on offer throughout the city to celebrate our Indigenous culture this NAIDOC Week.”

Newcastle Libraries will continue their activities with special NAIDOC Week Storytime sessions at the Wallsend and City library branches on 6 and 7 July respectively. Storytime will be facilitated by Indigenous health practitioner Sarah Corrigan from Rainbow Crow Cultural Collective, who will also introduce families to the Wayapa program, which is based on ancient Indigenous knowledge about living in harmony with the environment and connection with the world’s oldest living continuous culture.

The Lovett Gallery at Newcastle City Library will host the free Koori Knockout: 50 Years travelling exhibition from the State Library of NSW, which will be open to the public from 6 July to 21 October.

The photographic exhibition celebrates the first 50 years of the rugby league carnival, which began in Sydney with just seven men’s teams and has gone on to become the biggest rugby league knockout carnival in the world. The exhibition includes images of Newcastle All Blacks teams, who were crowned winners of the Koori Knockout in 1987, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Newcastle Museum is celebrating the talent and creativity of Newcastle’s diverse First Nations people through its exhibition entitled FIRST, which showcases the work of 16 Indigenous creatives who have a link to Newcastle and the Hunter.

Whilst at the Museum, visitors can also check out Cultural Resurgence, an exhibition featuring works developed by more than 600 school students, community groups and organisations participating in cultural enrichment programs delivered by Speaking in Colour.

Newcastle Art Gallery will also celebrate NAIDOC Week at Hamilton’s James Street Plaza with an outdoor projection of the video work Dead Tongue (2015) by leading First Nations artist Dr Christian Thompson AO.

The work, which comprises a moving portrait of the artist along with a stirring soundtrack of the artist singing in Bidjara language, will be on display from 3 July until the end of August. The project will culminate on Saturday 26 August in an evening of First Nations performance and music in collaboration with local artist Wanjun Carpenter. The project is presented by Newcastle Art Gallery with the support of Art Thinking, Hamilton Business Association, and the NSW Government through Create NSW.

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia annually in the first week of July to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Delivering unforgettable experiences in unexpected locations, City of Newcastle’s flagship New Annual festival is set to return this September for 10 days of art, culture, and creativity.

From aerial artists completing feats of physical daring to an epic percussive performance featuring 100 local drummers, New Annual offers a diverse program of dance, circus, visual art, music, and theatre by local and nationally renowned artists.

Audiences will discover new performance spaces this year, including Newcastle’s iconic Christ Church Cathedral and a popular inner-city distillery, while familiar landscapes such as Civic Park and Museum Park will be transformed by large-scale installations and pop-up stages.

Now in its third year, Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said New Annual was cementing its status as a drawcard event for the city.

“New Annual is the catalyst for Newcastle’s cultural events sector to take centre stage alongside leading national events,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Building on the success of last year’s festival, which attracted almost 40,000 people to more than 140 performances and activities, New Annual will once again surprise, inspire and delight audiences as they discover a new side of Newcastle and its creative community.”

New Annual will kick off on Friday, 22 September with an impressive opening program including ‘What Will Have Been’ by the world-renowned Circa Contemporary Circus, an exhibition by internationally acclaimed, Newcastle-raised South Sudanese photographer Atong Atem and ‘Rhapsody’, a one-of-a-kind cultural experience by Catapult Dance Choreographic Hub.

Civic Park will be a hive of activity as Strut and Fret invite audiences into the Spiegeltent for the extravagant ‘Blanc de Blanc Encore’, while a 700sqm maze of glass, mirrors and moving prisms will transport visitors into another world with artist Keith Courtney’s spectacular and immersive installation ‘Kaleidoscope’. Both Blanc de Blanc Encore and Kaleidoscope will have extended seasons that run beyond the end of New Annual.

A vibrant mix of free, low-cost and family-friendly events will continue throughout the 10-day festival, with highlights including ‘Noise’, a powerful performance by Dancenorth Australia in collaboration with local drummers, ‘This Land’, a musical showcase of acclaimed First Nations performers, and ‘Just Not Australian’, an artistic showcase challenging contemporary Australian nationhood.

Museum Park will come alive with a range of free events and activations including ‘Ngiarrenumba Burrai (Our Country)’, which is a series of First Nations cultural workshops being held throughout the New Annual program. A Community Day will take over the precinct on 30 September, with a vibrant celebration of diverse traditions, food, art forms, and cultural expressions being delivered as part of a two-year grant from Multicultural NSW.

Newcastle’s Civic Theatre will host a dynamic range of performances and events throughout New Annual, including gigs by award-winning pop icon Kate Ceberano accompanied by the George Ellis Orchestra and popular folk rock five-piece Boy and Bear, as well as a moving production of ‘Good Mourning’ by Tantrum Youth Arts, backstage tours and Civic Cinema screenings.

The untold inside story of Newcastle rock royalty Silverchair will also be shared for the first time, with drummer Ben Gillies and bassist Chris Joanou in conversation at the Civic Theatre for the official launch of their new memoir Love & Pain.

Newcastle artists, musicians and creatives will be in the spotlight across the New Annual festival, which was conceived with a vision to celebrate the depth of talent in the city’s thriving cultural and arts sector.

Councillor Carol Duncan said New Annual highlights Newcastle’s identity as a creative hub with a vibrant cultural heritage.

“City of Newcastle is committed to supporting local artists and organisations through flagship events such as New Annual, which provide a high-profile platform to showcase their talents,” Cr Duncan said.

“More than half of the programming during the past two New Annual festivals was delivered by local artists, offering a vital economic boost for Newcastle’s recovering creative arts and live music sectors that were heavily impacted by COVID-19.

“I can’t wait to do it all again this September and look forward to seeing our local artists on the bill alongside some of the best arts and cultural practitioners from across Australia.”

This year’s local programming will include Novocastrian-born award-winning playwright Ang Collins, who was selected as part of the local “Made New” program to premiere her Newcastle-based play, Spewy, at New Annual.

The play will be performed at Earp Distilling Co and follows the romantic journey of two twenty-somethings navigating their place in our vibrant city.

“I’ve been thinking about writing a play like Spewy – a funny, no-frills Newy-centric rom-com – for a number of years and I’ve always wanted to stage it in my hometown, for an audience of locals who will relate to the characters and story first-hand,” Ms Collins said.

“Thanks to New Annual’s Made New initiative, I was finally given the opportunity to write this story for a professional festival platform, and to bring it to life with some of my favourite regional artists.

“I am so excited to see New Annual invigorate my favourite harbour city and show the rest of the country the calibre of new work that we Novocastrians create.”

Fellow Novocastrian Daz Chandler from The Parallel Effect will deliver the NSW premiere of ground-breaking interactive theatre experience ‘Message From Another You’ during New Annual, while local theatre maker Janie Gibson will transform the New Lambton Community Centre with ‘Voices of Joan’, a moving and irreverent solo performance unravelling the history of misogyny through a radical retelling of the story of Joan of Arc.

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. Book by 14 July to receive a 10 per cent early bird discount on most shows.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has suspended the licence of a Lake Macquarie green waste facility following repeated environmental breaches.

J E T Group Australia Pty Limited operates a composting and green waste processing business in Toronto, near Newcastle.

EPA Director Regulatory Operations, David Gathercole said their licence has been suspended as they failed to install leachate and stormwater management systems after being directed to by the EPA.

“J E T Group’s failure to take appropriate action is extremely disappointing, with their failure to install pollution controls meaning ammonia is able to escape the property,” Mr Gathercole said. 

“Discharged ammonia can pollute waters, damage ecosystems and impact on human health.

“The EPA will take all necessary regulatory action against operators large or small when they fail to meet their legal obligation and put both the community and environment at risk.

“The waterways in the region deserve the best protection and the community has the right to expect them to remain pollution free.”

J E T Group has appealed the suspension notice to the Land and Environment Court.

The community will need to use an alternative facility while the facility’s licence is suspended. It is an offence under the Protection of the Environment Operations Act 1997 (NSW) to transport waste to a facility that cannot lawfully receive it.

Following is a summary of resolutions from the Ordinary Council meeting of Tuesday 27 June 2023. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.

Ordinary business

Acceptance of offer – Newcastle Art Gallery expansion – Telstra asset relocation works

Council unanimously voted to not invite tenders for the Newcastle Art Gallery expansion Telstra asset relocation works. A satisfactory result would not have been achieved through the calling of tenders as the network assets are owned by Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra) who have exclusive rights to carry out any modifications to their network.

Supplementary report – proposed sale of operational land – 55 Cowper Street, Wallsend

Council voted to adopt an alternative motion to lay this item on the table until reports are received on existing road reserves across the city and the road reserves lost in Newcastle by RMS/TfNSW in the last decade, as well as a plan for road reserves including strategic acquisitions, temporary and permanent uses.

Stage 1 of Hunter Estuary Coastal Management Program (CMP) completed

Council unanimously adopted an amended motion that endorsed the Hunter Estuary CMP Scoping Study, noted that the Hunter River Estuary is the most polluted in NSW and called for reinstatement by the NSW Government of the dedicated Hunter Catchment Management Authority or equivalent government agency, tasked with improving the health of the estuary. City of Newcastle will write to the Minister for the Hunter and Minister for the Environment requesting their assistance to urgently rectify this situation.

Making of the rate and charges for 2023/24

Council unanimously voted to make the Rates and Charges for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 in accordance with sections 532 – 535 of the Local Government Act 1993.

Interest on overdue rates and charges for 2023/24

Council voted to adopt the rate of 9.0% per annum on interest on overdue rates and charges for the period 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 (inclusive). Interest is waived for ratepayers who on the basis of financial hardship, enter into an agreement to pay outstanding rates over a period of time.

Executive monthly performance report

Council received the Executive Monthly Performance Report for May 2023.

Tender report – biennial hire of plant trucks and equipment

Council voted to accept tenders for the casual hire of plant, trucks, and small plant and equipment for a two-year period.

Tender report – construction of operational area for recycled materials transfer at Summerhill Waste Management Centre

Council unanimously voted to accept a tender for the construction of an operational area for recycled materials transfer at Summerhill Waste Management Centre, enabling the existing operations to continue until the Materials Recovery Facility project is completed.

Notices of Motion

Pedestrian crossings

Council unanimously voted for an amended notice of motion calling for City of Newcastle to develop a Newcastle Local Pedestrian Crossing Policy and explore the delivery of new crossings in a variety of areas across the city including locations in Hamilton South, Merewether, Hamilton North, Cooks Hill, Mayfield, New Lambton, Minmi, Elermore Vale and Tighes Hill.

Newcastle Inner City Bypass – further advocacy

Council unanimously supported an amended notice of motion calling on City of Newcastle to write to the Member for Wallsend, appropriate Ministers and Shadow Ministers calling on the newly elected NSW Government to urgently review aspects of the Inner City Bypass project, to ensure the opportunity to deliver a meaningful active and public transport connection between two of the City’s main catalyst sites (John Hunter Hospital and University of Newcastle) and opportunities for refinements to minimise biodiversity and habitat losses, are not lost.

National Parks Estate advocacy – 505 Minmi Road

Council supported a notice of motion that City of Newcastle writes to the Member for Wallsend and Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, calling for the urgent implementation of the Government’s election commitment to investigate the protection of 505 Minmi Road for conservation in the National Park Estate, reiterating the elected Council’s strong support for this option to permanently protect the Green Corridor.

Endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics

Council unanimously supported a notice of motion that notes and applauds the announcement that the Albanese Labor Government will be delivering Australia’s first Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics across all states and territories as part of the Labor Government’s $58.3 million commitment to theses clinics.

City of Newcastle will write to Federal Member for Newcastle and Deputy Speaker, the Minister for Health and Aged Care, and the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care advocating for Newcastle to be included in any subsequent funding for further clinics.

Supercars 500 and climate change

Council supported an amended notice of motion that that notes that the NSW Government and Supercars Australia are yet to commit to any extension of the Newcastle 500, with the final decision subject to Council endorsement. It also noted Council’s previous resolved support for the electrification of Supercars, and opportunity to utilise Supercars to promote the use of public transport and electric vehicles in the city.

Invitation to the NSW Local Government Minister

Council unanimously supported an amended notice of motion that notes Council unanimously supported a motion for the NSW Minister for Local Government Ron Hoenig to hold a Local Government Summit.

Late item

Social and affordable housing advocacy

Council unanimously supported a notice of motion that City of Newcastle offers the city’s support as a partner with the State and Commonwealth Governments to deliver on $2 billion in national commitments to deliver thousands of additional social dwellings, to support additional social and affordable housing in the city in response to the housing crisis.

City of Newcastle (CN) is seeking feedback on concept plans to widen a notorious traffic bottleneck at Longworth Avenue, Wallsend, which is a major connecting road to Newcastle from Minmi and Fletcher.

The project is stage one of a large-scale infrastructure program that would significantly alleviate traffic congestion along Minmi Road.

The upgrade will widen and renew Longworth Avenue by providing two-lane traffic each way, with clearway parking restrictions during peak times, and includes stormwater upgrades and streetscape improvements.

The upgrade is considered the highest priority to alleviate congestion along the main arterial road into the western corridor.

Residents of the area have long identified the need to widen this road and provide two dedicated lanes of traffic to and from our western suburbs to ease the morning and afternoon commute.

The project will provide greater access to the Minmi and Fletcher communities, while working to reduce travel times, improve safety, and cater for population growth and increased vehicle movements in the area.

The draft concept plan provides dual-lane traffic in each direction and removes right-hand turns into Bean Street and Cameron Street to alleviate congestion caused by motorists turning at these intersections.

The Western Corridor Traffic and Transport Study conducted in 2018/19 and a Lane Configuration Study conducted in 2020 reported that removing right-hand turns from Longworth Avenue onto Cameron and Bean streets would improve traffic flow for vehicles travelling southbound across the intersection, particularly during afternoon peak times.

Commuters and residents who regularly travel along this road, are encouraged to have their say on the concept designs, to help shape the future of this important link to the city.

The feedback will be used to better understand the level of support from the community on the proposed plans, before finalising the scope and design options that will be presented to Council later this year.

To have your say on the draft concept plans visit newcastle.nsw.gov.au/yoursay. Feedback closes on Monday 24 July 2023.

An information session will be held at Wallsend Library on Wednesday 12 July from 5pm to 6.30pm to provide the community with a chance to ask questions and give feedback on the project and its proposed design.

The upgrade of Longworth Avenue is proudly funded by the NSW Government in association with City of Newcastle.

Newcastle will be the home of new world-leading medical research infrastructure to help close the gap in health outcomes for First Nations people, thanks to $3 million in funding from the Albanese Government.

The innovative project from the University of Newcastle, in partnership with the Lowitja Institute, will help ensure culturally safe health and medical research for First Nations people, by establishing a national ethics committee to provide advice and guidance on future research projects.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Human Ethics Committee will be co-designed with First Nations people to ensure Indigenous Australians have a say in the research projects that affect them.

The project is spearheaded by Wiradjuri woman and NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow, Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy.

The funding is part of the National Critical Research Infrastructure Initiative, a 10-year, $650 million Australian Government investment from the Medical Research Future Fund. The Initiative funds facilities, equipment, systems and services that support world-class health and medical research.

Minister Butler said:

“We cannot close the gap in life expectancy and health outcomes, unless we consult First Nations people about the policies – and research projects – that affect them.”

“Better outcomes come through consultation, and the co-design process that the University of Newcastle will undertake in developing a dedicated First Nations ethics committee will lead to better outcomes.”

“The Albanese Government is supporting innovative research to help improve the health of all Australians.”

Sharon Claydon MP, federal Member for Newcastle said:

“The University of Newcastle has always punched well above its weight when it comes to world-leading research and this innovative study is further proof of that.”

“I’m delighted to see our talented researchers recognised by the Medical Research Future Fund, further cementing Newcastle as the home of innovative health and medical research.”

“This funding is testament to the extraordinary work of Michelle Kennedy and her team to deliver health research that’s appropriate, engaging and meaningful for First Nations people.”

Associate Professor Michelle Kennedy, Assistant Dean Indigenous Strategy & Leadership, University of Newcastle said:

“All research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be deemed safe and respectful by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

“All research involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled health ethical approvals. However, there is limited state-based infrastructure and no national infrastructure to support this.”

“This project will use a co-design process to establish the much-needed body and contribute to transformative change in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.”

Grant details:

$2,925,197 – Establishing a National Aboriginal Health Research Human Ethics Committee

This project will use a co-design process to establish a National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Research Human Ethics Committee to help improve health outcomes for First Nations people by streamlining culturally safe health and medical research.

Institute: The University of Newcastle    

A man will face court tomorrow after being charged with alleged serious domestic and traffic related offences on the state’s Mid North Coast. 

In March 2023, officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District commenced an investigation after a woman was allegedly assaulted by a man known to her at Upper Allyn. 

When the 37-year-old man was unable to be located by officers, a warrant was issued for his arrest and police commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

On Friday 2 June 2023, police were called to John Hunter Hospital after a woman had presented with serious injuries requiring surgery.

Further inquiries suggest the woman had allegedly been kidnapped by the man six weeks earlier and was held against her will.

About 5pm the next day (Saturday 3 June 2023), the man allegedly assaulted officers during an attempted arrest, before he fled the scene in a Jeep Cherokee towing a camper trailer.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle on Kendall Street in Bellbird; however, when the vehicle failed to stop as directed, a pursuit was initiated.

The pursuit continued through Kulnura, where the Jeep swerved to avoid road spikes and collided with a tree, causing the trailer to separate from the vehicle. The pursuit was terminated shortly after due to safety concerns. 

Just before 5pm yesterday (Friday 23 June 2023), an off-duty officer observed the man travelling in an allegedly stolen Toyota Landcruiser on the New England Highway in East Maitland.

The man was followed to the carpark of Metford Railway Station where he was approached by police.

It will be alleged the man then rammed two police vehicles before rolling the Landcruiser. Two passengers in the vehicle suffered minor injuries.

The man was arrested and taken to Maitland Police Station, where he was assessed by paramedics and taken to hospital under police guard for assessment.

On his release from hospital, the man was returned to Maitland Police Station and charged with twenty-three offences including:

• Two counts of common assault (DV),
• Stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (domestic),
• Take/detain person with intent to obtain advantage cause actual bodily harm (DV),
• Four counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV),
• Reckless grievous bodily harm (DV),
• Two counts of use etc offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention,
• Two counts of hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty,
• Two counts of assault police officer in execution of duty without actual bodily harm,
• Police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously,
• Destroy or damage property,
• Drive motor vehicle during disqualification period,
• Two counts of dishonestly obtain property by deception,
• Aggravated B&E & commit serious indictable offence-armed,
• Take & drive conveyance w/o consent of owner, and
• Drive recklessly/furiously or speed manner dangerous.

The Maitland man was refused bail and is due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Sunday 25 June 2023.

Two senior constables – both males – suffered minor injuries during the arrest.

Investigations are continuing.

A raft of progressive leave provisions and enhancements featured in City of Newcastle’s (CN) Enterprise Agreement (EA) 2023 is being extended to local government employees across NSW.

Up to 20 days of paid leave will be accessible to all NSW local government employees in domestic violence situations, along with Miscarriage Leave and a range of other initiatives offering employees greater support and flexibility if the proposed Local Government (State) Award 2023 is endorsed on 1 July.

Returned service people will also be recognised by being granted paid leave to attend Remembrance Day and Anzac Day, whilst apprentices and trainees will be given a leg-up with 100 per cent of their tool allowance covered.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said CN’s industry-leading Enterprise Agreement 2023 has set the tone for the rest of the state in terms of a harmonious industrial sector across local government.

“As one of the first councils in NSW to lead the way in domestic violence leave provisions back in 2018, City of Newcastle is pleased to see the results of those successful negotiations presented to all local government employees in NSW,” Cr Nelmes said.

“The success of CN’s EA has challenged the rest of the Local Government sector to embrace the progressive elements of the agreement.”

City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said the outcome achieved for local government employees statewide is a testament to all parties involved.

“The inclusion of these new provisions in the proposed State Award is a great outcome for local government employees in NSW, the unions, delegates and ratepayers,” Mr Bath said.

“It’s wonderful to see the progressive benefits and employment conditions led by City of Newcastle’s EA now reflected in the proposed state Award, in addition to the Local Government sector’s commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity.”

USU Official Luke Hutchinson said the proposed Award reaffirms the USU’s long-standing history of delivering improved pay and conditions for all 50,000 workers employed throughout all Councils in NSW.

“This proposed Award provides improved workplace conditions that will enable optimum services for our community and delivers socially progressive conditions such as access to miscarriage leave, improved parental leave, improved workplace flexibility and improved family and domestic violence leave,” Mr Hutchinson said.

“Following the resolution of the City of Newcastle Enterprise Agreement in late 2022, the USU challenged the rest of the Local Government sector to embrace the progressive elements of this agreement.

“Most importantly, this proposed Award provided our members some instant relief to address the current inflation crisis impacting workers across our communities.”

A woman has been charged following an unauthorised protest in Newcastle.

About 6am today (Friday 23 June 2023), emergency services were called to Egret Street, Kooragang, following reports a person had climbed on top of a reclaimer at Port Waratah.

Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District with assistance from Police Rescue, removed a 67-year-old woman.

She was arrested and taken to Newcastle Police Station, where she was charged with enter enclosed non-agricultural lands serious safety risk, enter/remain on major facility seriously disrupt use and breach of bail.

The woman was refused bail to attend Newcastle Local Court later today (Friday 23 June 2023).

Some of the Hunter’s best young musicians will perform in one of the highlights of the Hunter Wind Ensemble’ 20th anniversary celebrations this weekend.

Alumni of the Ensemble will rejoin it to present a spectacular program of music in the 20th Anniversary Concert at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral on Saturday 24 June at 1:00 pm.

In 2003, Department of Education Regional Arts Coordinator Lyn Cook met with young conductor and musician Scott Ryan to create a band that would provide elevated musical opportunities for public school students in the Hunter and Central Coast region.

Their first rehearsal was held at the Newcastle Tennis Club and within a month of formation they performed their first concert at Newcastle Christ Church Cathedral to celebrate Education Week. Twenty years later, the band is still providing exceptional music education opportunities to the region, allowing students to come together from local schools to rehearse and perform significant works in the concert band repertoire.

The ensemble has had successes at regional, state, national and international levels. This includes performances at the Sydney Opera House, Australian National Band Championships, National Eisteddfod in Canberra, and Summa Cum Laude at the Musikverein in Vienna. The band has embarked on many successful international tours, including performances at the Pacific Basin International Music Festival in Hawaii, Summa Cum Laude Festival in Vienna, Euro Disneyland in Paris and at Sister City celebrations in Ube, Japan.

In 2013, they visited the Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference in Chicago; they completed a successful tour of Spain and Portugal in 2018, and have travelled over 8,000km to play in rural communities in the outback of Australia.

Hundreds of young musicians across the Hunter and Central Coast have passed under the baton of conductors Scott Ryan, Michael Jobson and Charissa Ferguson, gaining priceless musical knowledge, earning international performance accolades, and making lifelong friendships.

Hunter Wind Ensemble has commissioned a new work by Chris Williams and will proudly premiere “Aurora Pacifica” at the Anniversary concert. Chris is a Newcastle born and bred composer and conductor whose works have been performed throughout Australia, Europe, Britain and the United States by orchestras and ensembles including Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, London Musical Theatre Orchestra, and Joyful Company of Singers.

Steve Williams is recognised as one of Australia’s most versatile and respected conductors, distinguishing himself with an impressive record of achievement in a variety of musical settings. Steve has toured the world with many of Australia’s finest Symphonic Bands and Jazz Ensembles including the Hunter Wind Ensemble. We are honoured to have him back on the podium for our Anniversary Concert.