Category: Newcastle News

Three people have been arrested following an investigation into alleged illegal hunting in the state’s Upper Hunter region.

On Wednesday 20 April 2022, teams from the Hunter Valley Rural Crime Investigations and NSW Department of Primary Industries Game Licencing Unit conducted proactive patrols of the Murrurundi and Little Jacks Creek areas, following reports of illegal hunting and other rural crimes in the region.

About 6.45am (Wednesday 20 April 2022), a SUV utility carrying a dog crate was detected allegedly trespassing and illegally hunting on a private property at Merriwa Road, Little Jacks Creek.

Police stopped the ute and spoke to three male occupants, aged 15, 17 and 23.

Five hunting dogs were located within the dog cage, with four of those wearing hunting collars. Two of the dogs were not microchipped and were fitted with electronic shock collars.

Police searched the ute – which was unregistered – and seized knives, hunting collars, a GPS tracking unit, spotlights and various tools.

All three were arrested and taken to Muswellbrook Police Station.

The 23-year-old man from Belmore was charged with enter private land to hunt animal without owner consent, enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog, custody of knife in public place, have custody of non-prescribed electrical device (two counts), companion animal (other) not registered (two counts), and not identify companion animal as prescribed – other (two counts).

He was given conditional bail to appear at Muswellbrook Local Court on Tuesday 31 May 2022.

The 17-year-old youth from Hunterview was charged with enter private land to hunt animal without owner consent, enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, cause or permit use of unregistered vehicle on road, and custody of knife in public place.

He was given conditional bail to appear before a Children’s Court on Monday 30 May 2022.

The 15-year-old boy from Singleton was released and will be issued with a youth caution for the offences of hunt game animal on private land without consent of owner, and enter enclosed agricultural land accompanied by hunting dog.

More than 40 free night-time events will be delivered across Newcastle’s city centre between 29 April – 21 May, to encourage the community to experience the cultural, retail and hospitality heart of the city.

Coordinated by City of Newcastle under the banner, ‘Autumn Alive’, the eclectic mix of events has received funding support of more than $500,000 from the NSW Government’s CBDs Revitalisation Program, in response to the impact of the pandemic on the hospitality, event and arts and culture sectors.

Autumn Alive will kick off at Pacific Park on April 29 with electronic music, DJs, food trucks, a silent disco and performances by Curious Legends and Catapult Dance Artists. New interactive lightbox installations will be unveiled on the night, displaying iconic artworks from Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.

The month-long program also features an outdoor cinema experience at Museum Park, alfresco dining at Civic Theatre, pop-up drag bar at Newcastle Library, night-time walking trails to highlight the city’s restaurants, venues and boutique retailers, culminating with a final night street party on Laman Street.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Autumn Alive program will provide a much-needed economic boost to small businesses and the city’s arts and cultural sector.

“City of Newcastle is committed to delivering and supporting community programs and events like Autumn Alive, as they are critical to our city’s post-pandemic recovery,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Newcastle’s city centre is our cultural heart, and a thriving CBD is the key to attracting people to help stimulate the economy.

“City of Newcastle is delivering a jam-packed program of free events and activations that will cater to everyone, thanks to $500,000 in funding from Investment NSW.”

Minister for Enterprise, Investment, and Trade Stuart Ayres said Newcastle has transformed significantly during the past two decades and is now home to cutting-edge industry and has amazing cultural offers with fantastic liveability.

“Initiatives like this one in Newcastle send a clear message that our CBDs are buzzing and back to business,” Mr Ayres said.

“We are doing all we can through our $50 million CBDs Revitalisation Program to encourage and entice people back into our CBDs, as this will help create jobs, drive our economy and showcase NSW as a vibrant place to live, work and visit.”

Newcastle Councillor and Community and Culture Advisory Committee Chair Carol Duncan said the Autumn Alive program has wide appeal and shines a spotlight on the city’s cultural venues and local businesses.

“The Autumn Alive program has reinvented the way we use our city’s cultural facilities and venues. It’s wonderful to see a venue like Newcastle Library remain open at night and transform into a drag bar featuring local performers like Timberlina & Foxxe Faux,” Cr Duncan said.

“I’d encourage Novocastrians to explore the city centre this May to rediscover Newcastle at night in support of small business and the arts and cultural sector.”

Visit whatson.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Autumn-Alive for event details, dates and times.

Autumn Alive program highlights:

Launch night at Pacific Park
Friday 29 April
Autumn Alive will kick off at Pacific Park with electronic music, DJs, food trucks, a silent disco and a performance by Curious Legends and Catapult Dance Artists. New interactive lightbox installations will be unveiled on the night, displaying iconic artworks from Newcastle Art Gallery’s collection.

Library After Dark
Thursday and Friday nights, 5-9pm
Newcastle Libraries and Newcastle Art Gallery present Library After Dark – an eclectic series of evening pop-up events. There will be Crime Canapes & Cocktails with Barry Maitland in conversation with Jamie Lewis, The Library is Open drag bar featuring Timberlina and Foxxe Faux, and a Bad Art Party featuring local artists Jen Denzin & Joanne Back.

Bad Art Party
Thursday 19 May 2022, 5-9pm
Bad Art Party is a social art event filled with kitschy craft-making and is a fun celebration of the underrated art forms taking the world by storm. Leave your art skills at the door and see what you can come up with in our artist-led workshop with local artists Jen Denzin and Joanne Back. Bookings are essential and for adults-only.

Night-time Walking Trails
Friday and Saturday nights throughout May
City of Newcastle has partnered with our city’s restaurants, galleries, bars and boutique retailers during Autumn Alive to bring to you curated Night-time Walking Trails. Download the City of Newcastle App to discover the hidden, and not so hidden gems of our city.

Pacific Nights
Saturday and Sunday nights throughout May
Produced by Newcastle’s best emerging programmers enjoy live music, spoken word, dance and interactive lighting in Pacific Park each Saturday and Sunday night throughout Autumn Alive. Bring a picnic rug, pick up a takeaway meal from one of our local business partners and celebrate the emerging creative scene.

Movies at Museum Park
Thursday and Friday nights, 6-9pm
Newcastle Museum will celebrate their latest exhibition, Alice’s Wonderland – A Most Curious Adventure, airing classic Disney movies under the stars in Museum Park. Bring a picnic blanket, grab some popcorn, ice-cream, or enjoy a drink from the bar whilst watching Disney favourites. Newcastle Museum will stay open late during Autumn Alive for guests to explore after dark.

East End Party
Saturday, 7 May 2022
The newest part of Newcastle’s CBD is open for business and this is your opportunity to check it out in style. Local businesses invite you to taste and see all that the new East End Stage 1 has to offer with boutique wine tasting, dumplings, an alfresco art exhibition, stringed musicians, contemporary dance and operatic vocals.

Closing Night: Laman Street Party
Saturday, 21 May 2022
Come along to Autumn Alive’s final night party on Laman Street with live music, dance, an art installation by Newcastle Art Gallery, local food stalls and more. Follow City of Newcastle’s social channels for the headline act announcement!

A man reported missing from the Lake Macquarie area has been located safe and well.

The 70-year-old man was last seen at an aged care facility on The Ridgeway, Bolton Point, about 10.30am today (Tuesday 12 April 2022).

He was reported missing by staff and officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Police District immediately commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Following inquiries and the issuing of a geo-target alert, the man returned to the aged care facility about 2pm today.

Police would like to thank the media and public for their assistance.

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

Kevin Bown, aged 70, was last seen at an aged care facility on The Ridgeway, Bolton Point, about 10.30am today (Tuesday 12 April 2022).

He was reported missing by staff and officers attached to Tuggerah Lakes Police District immediately commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Kevin’s welfare due to existing medical conditions.

Kevin is described as being of Caucasian appearance, of large build, with grey hair. He was last seen wearing a grey shirt and was carrying a backpack and Woolworths shopping bag.

Kevin is known to frequent the Toronto area.

Anyone with information about Kevin whereabouts is urged to contact Toronto Police Station on (02) 4088 1099 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A trip to Newcastle Museum has become curiouser and curiouser with the latest exhibition taking visitors down the rabbit hole to explore science concepts with the help of Alice in Wonderland.

The children’s literary classic has been transformed into a colourful, hands-on experience designed to introduce children to everything from optical illusions and word play to physics, time telling and maths.

Newcastle Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk said Alice’s Wonderland – A Most Curious Adventure provides parents with the perfect mix of education and entertainment to keep their kids occupied during the Easter school holidays.

“The wondrously bizarre and sometimes illogical story of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is the ideal inspiration for a playful exhibition that will ignite the natural curiosity of young children while also introducing them to a range of numeracy, literacy and science concepts,” Cr Adamczyk said.

“This exhibition provides a fantastic option for parents looking for a fun, low-cost activity for toddlers and junior primary school aged children during the upcoming holidays and is yet another example of the engaging, innovative program of touring and locally produced exhibitions that ensure Newcastle Museum continues to be a highly popular destination for locals and tourists of all ages.”

Featuring familiar scenes such as the rabbit hole, hall of doors and the Mad Hatter’s tea party, the touring exhibition from Museums Victoria encourages visitors to explore the way they perceive the world around them, with interactive fun for parents and children to enjoy together.

Visitors to Newcastle Museum can also take a trip through the rural, remote and regional heart of Australia thanks to the amazing photography on show in Portrait of Australia: Stories through the lens of Australian Geographic.

The stunning series of large format photographs will transport audiences across Australia, from the bush to the outback and up and down the coast, as they showcase the country’s diverse environments and the people who call them home.

A Portrait of Australia: Stories through the lens of Australian Geographic is on display at Newcastle Museum until June 19 and entry to the exhibition is free.

Tickets for Alice’s Wonderland – A Most Curious Adventure cost $10 for adults, $7 for concession, $5 for children and $25 for a family of four. Children aged two and under are free, with Dine and Discover NSW vouchers accepted. The exhibition runs until July 10.

Newcastle Museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm and every day during the school holidays.

City of Newcastle (CN) is in the process of inspecting and assessing all CN assets within its 14- kilometre coastal zone, following the weekend’s large and powerful surf conditions.

Temporary fencing at the South Newcastle Beach upgrade project was impacted by the weather conditions and it is in the process of being reinstated by the contractors for the works. Any costs associated with this work is at the contractor’s expense. Construction at the site resumed earlier this week on Wednesday.

Construction of stage one of the Newcastle Ocean Baths project has also now resumed.

In Stockton, wave overtopping reached Corroba Oval, Barrie Crescent Reserve and the Stockton Holiday Park. During the weekend’s event, inspections and make safe work was undertaken where necessary. No occupants of the holiday park were required to be relocated.

All accessways at Stockton Beach were closed over the weekend but following repair works, the accessways at Meredith Street, Beeston Street and Lexie’s Café are now open. All other accessways remain closed.

Additional temporary barriers have been installed along the northern breakwater due to extent of the erosion and existing emergency works located at the Surf Life Saving Club Seawall and the Mitchell Street Seawall have been inspected and repaired. Natural debris along the temporary protection structure at Barrie Crescent has been inspected and cleared.

The beach at Dalby Oval remains closed.

City of Newcastle has to date invested more than $10 million combatting beach erosion at Stockton. The community’s preferred option is mass sand nourishment, and as a result is one of the key actions in the Stockton Coastal Management Program, which was approved by the NSW Government in 2020.

To restore Stockton beach, up to 4.5 million cubic metres of sand would be needed, followed by maintenance campaigns every decade. Securing this volume of sand is only possible via offshore sand mining, something that has never previously been permitted. The cost of this solution is at least $21 million and so City of Newcastle is working with the NSW Government on the necessary approvals to permit offshore sand mining and then to fund the initial $21 million cost of the work.

City of Newcastle is also in the process of developing its Southern Beaches Coastal Management Program which sets out a long-term strategy for managing future coastal hazards, such as inundation. While there is further adverse weather forecast for this weekend likely to impact Newcastle and Lake Macquarie beaches, it’s likely that sand will return to Merewether and Bar Beach relatively quickly. Locals would recall in August last year a southerly swell and huge tide stripped away the sand, exposing the man-made rock wall as the beach’s last line of defence. The sand had largely returned prior to the freak weather event of last weekend.

City of Newcastle reminds the community to follow safety warnings and adhere to any signage while the remediation work is completed.

Budding young entrepreneurs are being invited to take part in a new program designed to help take their potential business ideas to the next level.

Funded by City of Newcastle and delivered in partnership with Hunter Futureprenuers, the Youth Entrepreneurs Hub will offer free access to resources and mentoring support for people aged 15-25 looking to set up a business.

It will be officially launched at City of Newcastle’s Digital Library on 14 April to coincide with Youth Week, kicking off with an intensive Entrepreneurs Mindset Bootcamp that will teach participants how to identify and develop an entrepreneurial mindset.

Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said City of Newcastle is committed to supporting employment and career opportunities for young people.

“Youth unemployment is one of the most significant issues impacting young people in regional areas including Newcastle, a situation that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Cr Clausen said.

“As part of our commitment to the Greater Newcastle Youth Employment Charter, City of Newcastle is working with other organisations to create new opportunities for young people by fostering the development of entrepreneurial skills in the region.

“Through initiatives such as the Youth Entrepreneurs Hub we can help young people develop the skills and confidence they need to turn fledgling ideas into viable business opportunities, while also expanding their network of like-minded people and industry experts.

“Investing in people and their skills sits at the heart of City of Newcastle’s Economic Development Strategy and is key to economic growth. The Youth Entrepreneurs Hub will continue our commitment to delivering innovative programs that strengthen existing and create new economic opportunities in Newcastle, such as the New Move initiative and NewSkills training programs including the Side Hustle Bootcamp and Product Development Mentoring Program.”

The Entrepreneurs Mindset Bootcamp session will be augmented by a series of monthly “Up Hustle” workshops that create a safe testing environment for generating ideas and pitch opportunities to local industry and mentors.

Members of the Youth Entrepreneurs Hub will also access individual mentoring sessions with leading entrepreneurs, be provided access to inspiring industry speakers and have the option of completing a range of nationally accredited training offered by the Newcastle Business Centre.

Program sessions will be run by young entrepreneurs from the Newcastle Business Centre and the Sydney School of Entrepreneurship, while participants will also be able to make the most of the Digital Library’s technology and resources including the podcast room, digital wall and 3D Printers.

To register for the free Entrepreneurs Mindset Bootcamp on 14 April and be part of the Youth Entrepreneurs Hub visit https://events.humanitix.com/develop-your-entrepreneurial-mindset-tools-for-life

More than 1800 students from across Newcastle and the Hunter gathered at Civic Theatre today to share untold war stories through drama and performance to commemorate the region’s military heritage ahead of Anzac Day.

Civic Theatre welcomed the return of the popular annual event, after being cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2021, with more than 50 state, independent and catholic schools attending from as far as Singleton and Rutherford to learn more about the Anzac spirit.

City of Newcastle is a proud long-standing sponsorship partner of the Newcastle and Hunter Combined Schools Anzac Service, and this year marked the 66th anniversary of the commemorative event.

This year’s theme, Purple Poppies, recognised animals that served Australia during times of war. Purple Poppies is a growing movement led by the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation (AWAMO), which issues purple poppies to be worn alongside the traditional red one as a reminder that both humans and animals have and continue to serve.

The commemorative service provides an opportunity for senior students to undertake a leadership role on behalf of their school and the wider community. Students communicate stories through speech, drama, song, dance, and use of audio-visual technology whilst developing a variety of skills such as teamwork, research, development, organisational, meeting and public speaking.

This Anzac Day, City of Newcastle welcomes residents and the community to attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Camp Shortland on Newcastle Foreshore. Attendees are encouraged to wear poppies and sprigs of rosemary to let Australia’s veterans and service people know that their service will never be forgotten. For those unable to attend in person, the service will be broadcast live on NBN between 5am to 6am.

City of Newcastle is long-standing sponsor of the event and is providing a free Park and Ride charter bus, which will operate on a continuous loop between McDonald Jones Stadium and between Queens Wharf from 3.30am until 12pm

Newcastle Transport will operate additional bus services from 3.30am on Anzac Day to help the community get to the dawn service and other commemorative events on the day.