Category: Newcastle News

Household bin collections are set to change for some properties across Newcastle to enhance service and processing efficiency at the kerbside.

The revised schedules will take effect from Monday 1 August, with about 20% of households experiencing a switch in the week their recycling and garden organics bins are collected. Two thousand Rankin Park and Wallsend residences will also be assigned a new service day.

City Wide Services Director Alissa Jones said the updated schedules will allow City of Newcastle to provide an optimised collection system that caters for the ongoing population growth being experienced across the city and particularly in the western suburbs.

“City of Newcastle is committed to meeting the needs of our city’s growing population, which has increased by around 14 per cent during the past decade and is forecast to pass 200,000 residents by 2041,” Ms Jones said.

“Amending our waste collection routes now will provide better outcomes for our existing customers while also future-proofing the efficiency and reliability of our kerbside service as waste needs continue to grow across the city and especially in our western suburbs, with an additional 4,000 homes anticipated in Fletcher, Minmi, Elermore Vale and Rankin Park alone by 2041.

“Changing service weeks, and in some cases service days, will allow for a more even spread of kerbside bins that require emptying throughout the week. This will help our collection crews provide a more reliable and punctual service to all residents across Newcastle.”

The revised collection routes have been modelled on the current and future waste needs across the city as well as customer feedback regarding service and processing efficiency to provide a more resilient and robust service for all residents.

The changes will apply to properties in parts of Adamstown, Beresfield, Blackhill, Elermore Vale, Hamilton East, Hamilton South, Jesmond, Maryland, Mayfield, Mayfield West, Merewether, New Lambton, New Lambton Heights, North Lambton, Rankin Park, Tarro and Wallsend.

Affected households will receive a letter this fortnight explaining the changes and their new collection schedules.

Residents can also look up their address on the City of Newcastle website at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/collection-days to find out if and how the changes apply to them.

Households retaining their existing collection schedule may notice a change in the time of day their bins are serviced, therefore it remains important that all residents have their bins on the kerb by 5am on collection day.

Newcastle yesterday.

About 6.40pm (Friday 15 July 2022), a BMW R1150 motorcycle was travelling south on Stewart Avenue, near the intersection of Parry Street, when he was hit by a small white sedan, possibly a Toyota Yaris.

The 25-year-old rider was thrown from his motorcycle onto the roadway as the sedan continued travelling south on Stewart Avenue.

The rider was treated at the scene and taken to John Hunter Hospital with shoulder and rib injuries. He remains in a stable condition.

Officer from Newcastle City Police Area Command attended and established a crime scene and have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash.

City of Newcastle has commenced the next stage of its award-winning Ironbark Creek rehabilitation project, targeting 350 metres of creek from Croudace Road, Elermore Vale, to Lewis Street Oval, Wallsend.

The $2.6 million stage of the project will significantly renaturalise the channel replacing weeds with thousands of native plants on the creek banks, and new rock work will better protect the creek as well as public and private assets.

The project will produce an environmentally friendly watercourse, which will improve flow and help make the creek and floodplain behave in more predictable ways during major floods.

Image: Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes inspects a previously rehabilitated section of Ironbark Creek with City of Newcastle staff (L-R) Sam Parker, Lindsay Nichols, Dean Jamieson, Ian Lacey, Stephen Long and Petra Freeman.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the complex project has been crucial in ensuring the health and long-term sustainability of the creek.

“City of Newcastle is committed to caring for and enhancing our natural environment and that is clear to see when you consider what we have achieved with Ironbark Creek. We started rehabilitation works 10 years ago and I’m proud to say that we are now continuing on with this next stage,” Cr Nelmes said.

“We expect this work will also improve the local tree canopy and habitat in the area, making the creek line friendlier for native plants, birds and other animals.”

The Ironbark Creek project began in 2011 and by using nature-based solutions, aims to rehabilitate the creek from Elermore Vale Park, downstream to Wallsend Park where the creek flows into a Hunter Water Channel.

“Ironbark Creek is the city’s largest tidal creek draining to the Hunter River. Its catchment covers nearly 13,000 hectares and is crucial to the health of our local catchment,” Cr Nelmes added.

“We have invested over $4.1 million into rehabilitating Ironbark Creek over the past decade, which provides flow on benefits beyond the creek, including into Hexham Swamp. Hexham Swamp is a fresh water and estuarine wetland, of ecological importance, which was once the largest predominantly freshwater wetland on the near north coast of New South Wales. The benefits will also reach as far as the Hunter River mouth at Sandgate.”

Work on this stage of the project is scheduled to be completed in November, weather dependent, with the next two stages currently in the design phase.

To find out more about the project, visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/ironbark-creek

A man will face court today after being charged with break and enter, drug and traffic offences in the state’s Hunter Region.

About 11am yesterday (Monday 11 July 2022), officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District stopped a Ford Territory travelling along the New England Highway, Rutherford.

Police spoke to the driver – a 42-year-old man – and, following inquiries relating to a break and enter offence, he was arrested.

Officers searched the man and allegedly located methylamphetamine.

The man – who is disqualified from driving – was taken to Maitland Police Station and charged with:

• aggravated break and enter dwelling etc in company steal <$60000,
• drive motor vehicle during disqualification period,
• use class A vehicle displaying altered number-plate,
• drive motor vehicle during disqualification period – 2^nd offence, and
• possess prohibited drug.

It will be alleged in court that the man and two other males broke into a four-wheel drive equipment store on Mustang Drive, Rutherford, about 4.10am last Saturday (9 July 2022) where several items were stolen.

It will be further alleged that the men drove to the store in a Ford Territory with stolen number plates registered to another vehicle.

The Rutherford man has been bail refused to appear at Maitland Local Court today (Tuesday 12 July 2022).

Investigations into the incident are continuing.

Large and powerful surf conditions combined with high tides have impacted sections of Newcastle’s coastline over the weekend. This has been compounded by recent severe weather events.

Newcastle’s southern beaches have been significantly affected, with Bar Beach again stripped of sand, while beach accessways at Merewether Beach, Bar Beach, Dixon Park Beach and Stockton Beach remain closed.

All of Newcastle’s beaches are currently closed due to ongoing dangerous surf conditions. City of Newcastle is undertaking daily inspections of all Newcastle beaches to ensure public safety.

Repair work in response to repeated recent East Coast low events are due to commence this month (weather dependent) at Cooks Hill Surf Life Saving Club and accessways at Merewether Beach, Bar Beach, Dixon Park Beach and Stockton Beach. Once the repair work is complete, all safe accessways will reopen to the public.

A man will face court charged over an alleged carjacking and pursuit in the Hunter.

Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attempted to stop a black Mazda on Cumberland Street, Cessnock, about 3.40pm on Thursday 7 July 2022. When the driver allegedly failed to comply a pursuit was initiated. It was terminated a short time later due to safety concerns.

Police will allege the vehicle stopped in Weston, where the driver left the vehicle and approached a Mitsubishi Magna parked nearby. 

The man allegedly forced the driver, a 67-year-old woman, from the vehicle and drove it away.

The woman and her female passenger were not injured.

With the assistance of PolAir, officers located the vehicle on Anderson Drive, Beresfield, and – a short time later – a 33-year-old man was arrested after allegedly attempting to access another two vehicles in a garage on Emerson Street.

He was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously, assault with intent to take/drive motor vehicle, negligent driving (two counts), drive motor vehicle during disqualification period, and enter dwelling with intent to steal.

The Raymond Terrace man was refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court on Friday 10 July 2022. He was formally refused bail and will appear before Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 13 July 2022.

Newcastle residents affected by the severe weather event that began on 27 June will now be able to access government-funded disaster relief payments.

Newcastle was one of eight additional local government areas (LGAs) added to the list of declared disaster zones today as impacts from the widespread rain and flooding continue to be felt across large areas of New South Wales.

Assistance was also extended to Muswellbrook and Port Stephens as well as Cumberland, Mid Coast, Nambucca, Randwick and Warren, bringing the total number of disaster-declared LGAs to 37.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes welcomed the news, saying it would provide much-needed funding and support to local residents affected by the recent storms.

“Like many areas across the state, Newcastle has been widely impacted by the recent severe weather event,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Today’s announcement to add Newcastle to the list of disaster-declared LGAs is much appreciated as it will enable affected communities and individuals to access the range of special assistance measures needed to help them recover from the latest weather event.

“I appreciate the fast response and support from the Deputy Premier Paul Toole on this declaration after meeting with him and other local Greater Newcastle and Hunter Mayors this morning.”

Assistance is being provided through the jointly funded Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and includes helps for eligible people whose homes or belongings have been damaged, as well as concessional interest rate loans for small businesses, primary producers and non-profit organisations.

Support is also available for affected local councils to help with the costs of cleaning up and restoring damaged essential roads and public assets.

Information on disaster assistance can be found on the National Recovery and Resilience Agency’s website at www.recovery.gov.au

Police are investigating the armed robbery of a Newcastle hotel this morning.

About 3.20am (Friday 8 July 2022), a 21-year-old male employee was leaving the premises on Denison Street, Hamilton, when he was approached by a man armed with a knife.

He threatened the employee and demanded to be let inside the premises, before stealing cash.

The man then ran from the scene south on Beaumont Street towards Hamilton South.

Officers attached to Newcastle City Police District attended and established a crime scene.

The man – who was wearing all black clothing and a face mask – is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged in his mid to late-30s, about 170cm tall, and of solid build.

As inquiries continue, police are appealing for anyone who may have CCTV footage from nearby streets or dashcam footage from Beaumont and Denison Streets between 3.15am and 3.30am this morning (Friday 8 July 2022), to contact Newcastle Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Anyone with information about this incident 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 information via NSW Police social media pages.

A man remains under police guard following an alleged carjacking and pursuit across the Hunter yesterday.

Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attempted to stop a black Mazda on Cumberland Street, Cessnock, about 3.40pm yesterday (Thursday 7 July 2022), but when the driver allegedly failed to comply a pursuit was initiated. It was terminated a short time later due to safety concerns.

Police will allege the vehicle stopped in Weston, where the driver left the vehicle and approached a Mitsubishi Magna parked nearby. 

The man allegedly forced the driver, a 67-year-old woman, from the vehicle and drove it away. The woman and her female passenger were shaken but not physically injured.

PolAir was brought in to assist and worked with local police to find the now-extensively damaged vehicle on Anderson Drive, Beresfield.

A short time later, a 33-year-old man was arrested after allegedly attempting to access another two vehicles in a garage nearby on Emerson Street.

He was initially taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station but was then taken to John Hunter Hospital to be assessed for a suspected medical condition.

He remains there under police guard as inquiries continue.