City of Newcastle is encouraging residents to continue social distancing as parks, playgrounds, skateparks and beaches re-open in line with a relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions.
Under a new Public Health Order, from today outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people will be allowed across the state and leaving the home for leisure will be permitted.
“I’d like to thank and commend the Newcastle community for their co-operation and understanding in observing social distancing rules and stay-home orders over the past couple of months,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“From today we have removed restrictions on outdoor spaces and re-opened playgrounds, skateparks and outdoor equipment including basketball and netball courts.
“We ask the community to continue to respect the NSW Government health restrictions by maintaining social distancing and continuing to practise good hygiene to ensure everyone can enjoy our public spaces.
“It is everyone’s responsibility to adhere to the restrictions, so when there’s 10 people at a skatepark or basketball court, users are encouraged to respect everyone’s right to access the facility.”
Blackbutt Reserve’s open space areas will re-open to the public ahead of the Carnley and Richley Reserve playgrounds on Saturday following scheduled maintenance Friday. Animal encounters, wildlife exhibits and shows remain suspended under the current social distancing and public gathering restrictions.
The red-and-yellow flags are back up at Newcastle Ocean Baths, Merewether Ocean Baths; Nobbys, Bar and Merewether beaches in line with winter-season patrols, with lifeguards continuing to encourage social distancing while monitoring swimmers.
More information will be known soon on organised sport as the City follows the national guidelines for the resumption of sport and recreation activities, and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Framework for Rebooting Sport in a COVID-19 Environment https://ais.gov.au/health-wellbeing/covid-19
The NSW Office of Sport is working on the development of guidelines for each sport in line with the AIS Framework.
While continued restrictions on gatherings mean the City’s cultural facilities, such as libraries, Newcastle Museum, Civic Theatre and the Art Gallery, remain closed, a range of experiences are being offered online, from Art Gallery exhibitions to animal feeding at Blackbutt.
Civic Digest Café will resume table service for up to 10 patrons, in line with the easing of restrictions on hospitality businesses, and continue its takeaway service.
While the City’s face-to-face customer service desk remains closed, customers can instead access support between 8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday, on (02) 4974 2000, on webchat or via our online Customer Request Form
Author: admin
NEW FLEET FOR NSW AMBULANCE FRONTLINE
A fleet of 89 new state-of-the-art ambulances will be rolled out to communities across NSW as part of a $17 million funding boost from the NSW Government.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the new fleet will bring provide additional capacity across the state and ensure the health system can deal with any potential surge in COVID-19 cases.
“This is another step we are taking to ensure our health system is prepared for any spike in COVID-19 cases, especially as we ease restrictions and head into winter,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“The manufacture of the 89 extra ambulances is well underway and we expect to have them on road within weeks, in regional and metropolitan communities across the state.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the $17 million investment also delivers additional medical supplies including upgraded life-saving defibrillators.
“The package will provide extra defibrillators with features previously only available in acute care environments, as well as critical airway equipment such as Laryngoscopes used for the intubation of seriously ill patients,” Mr Hazzard said.
“This new fleet follows the graduation of 467 new paramedic recruits who will now join NSW Ambulance’s incredible frontline troops who come to our aid and save our lives when we need them the most.”
NSW Ambulance Chief Executive Dr Dominic Morgan said the new fleet and additional paramedics will go a long way to helping us meet the demands of the community during these extraordinary times.
“We are one of the largest ambulance services in the world and this boost to our workforce gives us new strength and support to our very valuable frontline workforce,” Dr Morgan said.
The allocation of new ambulances is currently being finalised, with priority being given to areas experiencing a higher demand for services.
The $17 million is part of the NSW Government’s $800 million investment to boost ICU capacity and purchase additional services and medical equipment
NEW VISION FOR ROYAL NORTH SHORE HOSPITAL
The NSW Government today announced plans to transform a portion of Royal North Shore Hospital (RNSH), known as the Herbert Street Precinct, into a thriving community with additional health-related services, public open space, key worker housing and a new educational facility.
Minister for Water, Property and Housing, Melinda Pavey, said the Government’s vision for the Herbert Street Precinct will improve social, health and economic outcomes.
“This is a unique opportunity to improve health services, provide more open space and deliver up to 500 apartments within the site focusing on accommodation for key health-related workers, allowing hard working hospital staff and essential services workers to live close to their work,” Mrs Pavey said.
Member for North Shore, Felicity Wilson said the proposed redevelopment supports the growth of Royal North Shore Hospital as one of the State’s most important health, research and training facilities.
“The development of the Herbert Street Precinct provides the opportunity to improve facilities for key workers, clinicians, patients and allied health services,” Ms Wilson said.
Key features of the transformation include:
- Affordable key worker accommodation (to support the Northern Sydney Local Health District) and ‘build to rent’ apartments
- New commercial office space to support the broader health and education precinct (including office space, retail and short stay accommodation)
- A new educational facility
- 6,000m2 additional public domain and open space
- Adaptive re-use of heritage buildings
- Improved connectivity and pedestrian access to public transport; and
- Additional car parking for commercial, retail and residential uses.
The Government will shortly undertake a detailed consultation program with the RNSH community, government agencies, Willoughby Council, local businesses and the general public. Details of the consultation activities and events will be made available shortly.
A planning submission for the rezoning of the Herbert Street Precinct and redevelopment proposal will follow this preliminary consultation period.
There will be no immediate change to the RNSH Campus and no disruption to clinicians, patients, staff or visitors during the COVID-19 pandemic.
To view the Herbert Street Precinct transformation fly-through and images, visit: www.herbertstreetprecinct.com.au, https://virtualideas.sharefile.com/share/view/sc146ca066ba4e549
Man charged with domestic violence, drug and firearm offences – Clarencetown
Police have located a hydroponic cannabis set-up following an alleged domestic violence incident yesterday.
About 4.40pm on Thursday (14 May 2020), officers attached to Port Stephens – Hunter Police District received a domestic-related complaint and attended a home at Lowe Street, Clarencetown.
Officers spoke with the occupant, a 39-year- old woman, but the man had fled the scene.
Officers later stopped the man at Lemon Tree Passage in a Holden Commodore, where he was arrested and taken to Raymond Terrance Police Station.
After receiving further information, a warrant was executed at the Lowe Street home.
During a search of the home, officers located and seized an elaborate hydroponic set-up contained within an internal room. Cannabis plants in various stages of growth, including seedlings (24) small plants(19) and mature plants (24), was located.
Officers returned to the property on Friday (15 May 2020), to continue the search, where police located an amount of firearms ammunition.
The man was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV), two counts of contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (Domestic), stalk/intimidate intend fear physical harm (Domestic), use unregistered class A motor vehicle, use uninsured motor vehicle, use/consume/waste electricity without authority, possess ammunition w/o holding licence, possess prohibited plant, cultivate prohibited plant and possess prohibited drug.
He was refused bail to appear at Raymond Terrance Local Court today (Friday 15 May 2020)
Inquiries continue.
Rifles and drugs seized; woman charged – Metford
A woman has been charged after drugs and several weapons were seized from a property in the Hunter yesterday.
About 6am (Thursday 14 May 2020), officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police Target Action Group – with the assistance of Operation Utah officers – executed a firearms and weapons prohibition order at a home on Wattle Close, Metford.
During the search, police located and seized two long arm rifles, two ‘gel blaster’ style firearms, cannabis, amphetamines and stolen number plates.
A 35-year-old woman was arrested and taken to Maitland Police Station.
She was charged with 11 offences, including:
- Goods suspected stolen in/on premises (not m/v)
- Possess prohibited drug (x2)
- Acquire etc firearm – subject to prohibition order
- Possess unauthorised firearm (x2)
- Possess unauthorised prohibited firearm (x2)
- Not keep firearm safely-not prohibited firearm/pistol
- Not keep firearm safely-prohibited firearm
- Possess more than three unregistered firearms without licence/permit
The woman was refused bail to face Newcastle Local Court yesterday (Thursday 14 May 2020), where she was again refused bail to appear at Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 27 May 2020.
Breakdown of latest Public Health Act charges and Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs)
In the past 24 hours, two people have been issued with Penalty Infringement Notices (PINs) under the Public Health Act 2010 (NSW) COVID-19.
Yesterday’s PINs:
- About 2.45pm yesterday (Thursday 14 May 2020), officers attached to Eastern Beaches Police Area Command were patrolling Maroubra, when they stopped and spoke to a man at the intersection of Anzac Parade and Maroubra Road, who was drinking a can of Jim Beam in an alcohol-free zone. The man had previously been issued with a PIN at the same location three days earlier. He was given another $1000 infringement.
- About 10am yesterday, officers from Leichhardt Traffic and Highway Patrol spoke with a man on The Crescent, Annandale. When it was determined the 38-year-old had already been warned three times in relation to breaches of the Public Health Act, he was issued with a PIN.
Anyone who has information regarding individuals or businesses in contravention of a COVID-19-related ministerial direction is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.
NEWCASTLE GPS NEED SUPPORT, NOT CUTS, DURING COVID-19
Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon has used the last day of the Parliamentary sitting to give a speech calling on the Morrison Government to rethink cuts to bulk billing incentives as doctors increasingly struggle with the pressures of COVID-19.
Ms Claydon told the Parliament that Newcastle was one of 14 areas nationally that were targeted by the Morrison Government to remove bulk billing incentive payments.
“It’s astonishing now to think that the Prime Minister started this year of 2020 with a fresh round of cuts to Medicare bulk-billing. The loss of that incentive payment is estimated to cost the Newcastle and Hunter region some $7 million,” Ms Claydon said.
“Doctors have already had to start making decisions about not bulk-billing those vulnerable people in our community. It’s already happened. And, indeed, I have lost GPs. I have had GPs’ surgery doors close.”
Ms Claydon warned that the pandemic was adding to the pressure for GPs.
“This is a time when our GPs are under even more pressure. Many of them are now reporting to me that they are doing a lot of unpaid work, calling people after hours who are trying to get advice and follow-up information around COVID-19 at the moment. Simultaneously, there’s been a reduction in the number of face-to-face visits to GPs.
“A doctor of many decades in my community, summed up the feelings of his colleagues when he wrote, ‘We feel that primary care doctors have been abandoned by the government and left to fend for themselves in the front line of this pandemic.’ – I don’t think I could have put it any better myself.”
Ms Claydon called on the Government to reverse the cuts immediately.
“At a time when this pandemic has really made abundantly clear the importance of strong, universal primary healthcare in this nation, it is astonishing that the government should even contemplate proceeding with this cruel scheme to cut bulk-billing incentive payments,” Ms Claydon said.
Ms Claydon said more than 3,000 Novocastrians had signed her petition against the Government’s bulk billing incentive cuts.
POLICE COVID-19 EFFORTS BOOSTED BY NEW CYBERCRIME OFFICERS
Additional police officers have been allocated to the Cybercrime Squad as COVID-19 restrictions see a rise in cybercrime reports.
Eight additional investigators have been added to the Cybercrime Squad following a noticeable increase in online scams, including vendors selling personal protective equipment for vastly elevated prices.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said these officers would join thousands of others across the state helping the community through the pandemic.
“We have more than 17,000 police officers in NSW, who have been working around the clock to protect the community, including enforcing COVID-19 restrictions, overseeing quarantine hotels and patrolling our roads,” Ms Berejiklian.
“NSW has some of the finest police officers in the world, and every one of them has had a role to play in the fight against this pandemic, adapting to a fast-changing and unprecedented environment, implementing new policies, procedures and legislation.
“The NSW Police Force has played, and continues to play an incredibly important role during the pandemic, and we are grateful for their efforts.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott said the new positions are part of the NSW Government’s $583 million investment in 1,500 additional police over four years.
“The Premier, the Health Minister and I have been working in lock-step with the Police Commissioner over the past weeks and months and the work of our police can’t be faulted,” Mr Elliott said.
“NSW Police have laid 187 charges and issued more than 1,200 Penalty Infringement Notices for non-compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, and have responded to around 17,000 calls to Crime Stoppers. As we start to ease restrictions across the state, the police will once again step up to ensure our citizens are safe.”
“On behalf of the NSW Government, I thank our Police Force for their unwavering service and commitment.”
FREE COVID-19 WEBINARS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Small businesses facing challenges amid COVID-19 can receive free advice on support options available from the NSW Government through a series of new webinars.
Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the webinars would provide valuable information for businesses on the following topics:
- $10,000 small business COVID-19 support grant
- cash flow
- tax concessions
- workplace safety
- commercial leases and procurement opportunities.
“We know small businesses are doing it tough and the information in these webinars will help business owners make decisions about the steps they should take to get through this challenging time,” Mr Tudehope said.
“We are featuring speakers from Business Connect, Service NSW, Revenue NSW, SafeWork NSW, Training Services NSW, NSW Small Business Commission, Procurement NSW and the Industry Capability Network (ICN).”
“The webinars will feature a live question and answer session with participants able to direct questions to the various Government representatives.”
The NSW Government has also rolled out a series of eight short videos focusing on individual small businesses from across the metropolitan area and regional NSW.
Each video provides insights from small business owners on how they have successfully diversified their operations amid the current challenges.
“I know small business owners are looking for advice on a number of issues including how to transfer to online operation, and these videos will give you tips on how you can.
To book in for today’s COVID-19 Small Business Support Information webinar, go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/covid-19-small-business-support-webinar-tickets-104388027400
To book in for the COVID-19 Small Business Procurement Opportunities webinar on Thursday 21 May, go to https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/covid-19-small-business-procurement-opportunities-tickets-104625361272?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch
Tenders called to build new Bathers Way leg
Contracts to build the latest stretch of Newcastle’s landmark Bathers Way Coastal Pathway and a drawcard skating facility at South Newcastle Beach will be open to tender from Tuesday.
Site preparation work and cliff stabilisation will soon begin, before separate contracts are awarded in July for the latest instalment of the Bathers Way’s signature broadened pathway and an adjoining skate park and bowl.
The $11.7 million project, which will begin in August and take around two years to complete, will re-activate South Newcastle Beach with a kiosk, new public amenities, landscaping, artwork, shade and seating, exercise equipment and viewing areas.
“Construction companies are now invited to bid for these two contracts to transform a long-dormant part of Newcastle’s coastline,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“By renewing the site’s infrastructure and building new facilities, we hope to revive South Newcastle Beach as a vibrant and attractive place to visit.
“Completed sections of the Bathers Way have prompted 50 per cent usage increases, with Merewether one of the busiest due to its additional facilities, and we expect to see similar impetus from this revitalisation project.
“Increased foot and wheel-based traffic will, in turn, increase surveillance and reduce anti-social behaviour in a wider boost for businesses in Newcastle East.”
Part of The Newcastle Beach Community Infrastructure Project, the upcoming works will better connect King Edward Park and Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club before the final Bathers Way sections, through the park and along Memorial Drive, are delivered.
The project is partially funded through the State Government’s Restart NSW Fund and has been guided by the Bathers Way Community Reference Group (CRG).
Community feedback in 2018 on the original concept plan, which had a skate bowl extending onto the beach, prompted modifications that garnered overwhelming support in further community engagement last year.
“It’s a fantastic area that will be activated by a myriad of user groups and individuals,” Bathers Way CRG’s Skate Community Representative John Bogaerts said. “The area has been dormant for some time so this upgrade will mean it meets the community’s needs and will complement the rest of the existing Bathers Way.”
While a separate tender and contract will be awarded for the skatepark construction in parallel to the main Bathers Way tender, the former will be novated under the latter when both are awarded.
In preparation, minor construction work will commence in June, including drainage, maintenance of the cliff face and preparations to extend the existing rock-catch fence.
Tender submissions can be made from Tuesday via https://www.tenderlink.com/newcastle/