Category: Newcastle News

The NSW Government, together with the NSW Police Force, has announced two $1 million rewards for information regarding the disappearances and suspected murders of Lake Macquarie teenagers Robyn Hickie and Amanda Robinson more than 40 years ago.
In April 2019, Lake Macquarie detectives established Strike Force Arapaima to re-examine the investigation into the unsolved disappearances and suspected murders of Robyn Hickie, Amanda Robinson and Gordana Kotevski.
Robyn Hickie, aged 18, left her home around 7.15pm on Saturday 7 April 1979, and was last seen standing at a bus stop on the Pacific Highway, Belmont North.
A fortnight later, Amanda Robinson, aged 14, was last seen walking along Lake Road, Swansea, on Saturday 21 April 1979, after attending a dance at her high school in Gateshead.
Despite extensive investigations at the time, and over the years, neither of the girls have been located.
A subsequent Coronial Inquest into their disappearances found that the teenagers were deceased, most likely as a result of foul play.
As investigations continue, police are renewing their appeal to the community to come forward with any information that may assist detectives with their inquiries.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services, David Elliott, said the increased rewards demonstrates how strongly the NSW Government is supporting the Lake Macquarie Police District investigators.
“For far too long, Robyn and Amanda’s families have lived with the pain of losing a child but without any idea of how it happened or who is responsible,” Mr Elliott said.
“They have been in limbo for four decades not knowing. They deserve answers now and we believe that offering these new rewards should be sufficient incentive for those with information to come forward.
“If your conscience won’t make you act, maybe $2 million will,” Mr Elliott said.
Lake Macquarie Police District Crime Manager, Detective Inspector Steve Benson, hopes this reward will encourage those who have been holding onto vital information since 1979 to share what they know with police.
“The disappearances of these teenagers triggered every parent’s worst nightmare. The Hickie and Robinson families have been fighting for the truth for four decades, they deserve to know what happened to their girls,” Det Insp Benson said.
“Our dedicated detectives under Strike Force Arapaima have re-examined all the evidence compiled over the past 40 years and are hoping this government reward will result in further information being provided to detectives to follow up and investigate.”
Anyone with information about Strike Force Arapaima 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 has died following a single-vehicle crash in the state’s Hunter Region at the weekend.
About 5.10pm on Saturday (14 August 2021), emergency services were called to Port Stephens Road, near Kangaroo Street, at Raymond Terrace following reports of a crash.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended and identified that a Holden Barina had crashed into a fence after leaving the road.
Despite the efforts of emergency services, the driver and sole occupant – a 69-year-old man – died at the scene.
A crime scene was established and an investigation commenced into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Two women have been charged with breaching the Public Health Order after allegedly travelling from Sydney to the Hunter region.
At 9.45am on Thursday 29 July 2021, officers attached to Police Transport Command – North were conducting opal card checks at Cardiff Train Station when they spoke with a 21-year-old woman on board a northbound train.
She told police she had left the Greater Sydney area; the passenger was issued with a warning that she was in breach of the Public Health Order and was directed to return to Sydney.
About 1.45am on Friday 30 July 2021, Newcastle City Police were called to an address on Sandgate Road, Shortland, for an unrelated matter.
Officers approached a vehicle parked nearby and spoke with two women – aged 20 and 21.
Police requested the women to provide proof of identification, and both women provided digital driver’s licences stating addresses from Sydney’s West.
Neither were able to provide police with a reasonable excuse for leaving the Greater Sydney area and they were issued $1000 PINs for breaching the Public Health Order.
Both women were directed to return to Sydney and left the location, indicating they would comply with that direction. However, investigations have revealed they allegedly failed to leave the area.
Further inquiries have also revealed that the 20-year-old woman travelled from Sydney to Newcastle by train on Tuesday 27 July 2021, before the women allegedly attended several other locations whilst in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie areas. Both women have since tested positive to COVID-19.
Following extensive inquiries, officers from South Sydney and Mt Druitt Police Area Commands issued Future Court Attendance Notices to two women – aged 20 and 21 – for the offence of fail to comply with noticed direction in relation to section 7/8/9 – COVID-19 – individual.
The younger woman is due to attend Mt Druitt Local Court on Wednesday 29 September 2021, while the older woman is due to appear at Hornsby Local Court on the same date.
Investigations are ongoing into further alleged breaches.

City of Newcastle has worked with the NSW Government and private operator Medtech Services to quickly establish a new testing clinic in Wickham to meet increasing demand from the community seeking rapid COVID-19 testing.
The new testing clinic will open at Passmore Oval (Wickham Park) on Wednesday 11 August and operate from 7.30am to 4.00pm, six days a week.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said opening an additional testing clinic is a positive step towards addressing adequate COVID-19 testing centres to keep the community in Greater Newcastle safe, but more testing sites are needed.
“Novocastrians should be applauded for taking the current public health orders seriously, and for turning up in droves to be tested for COVID-19, even with the slightest symptoms,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Residents are doing the right thing, then waiting hours to get tested, with reports of people even being turned away due to current testing centres being overwhelmed by demand, which is not acceptable.
“Last week I wrote to the Minister for Health asking for more COVID-19 testing locations, and adequate staffing to conduct the amount of testing being asked of our community.
“Newcastle needs to keep its testing rates high to detect any cases of community transmission. The last thing we need is to deter Novocastrians from coming forward for testing due to long wait times or the fear of being turned away.
“The new Passmore Oval testing clinic in Wickham has the capacity to conduct several thousand tests per day, but we will continue to advocate for more testing sites in Newcastle to meet the increasing demand.
“City of Newcastle have offered the NSW Government access to any of our suitable public facilities to bring more testing sites to Greater Newcastle to keep the community safe.”

City of Newcastle’s cultural facilities are diving back into the digital world to help keep Novocastrians entertained during the current COVID lockdown.
The City’s facilities were at the forefront of delivering online experiences to keep the community engaged and connected in the midst of the pandemic last year, from live-streamed science experiments to digital art classes and an extensive array of books, films, magazines and music available to download and enjoy.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the snap lockdown across Newcastle and the Hunter announced by the NSW Government last week provided the perfect time to take another look at these fantastic digital resources.
“Navigating the stress and challenges presented by the lockdown is a complex task, which can be exacerbated by feelings of loneliness, boredom or isolation,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Whether you’re living by yourself, trying to keep your children entertained at home or simply missing the sense of pleasure you get from visiting our network of cultural facilities, we’ve got you covered with a wide range of online activities for all ages and interests.
“Budding scientists can still enjoy the hands-on fun of Newcastle Museum with the Museum Express @ home video experiments, while crafty kids can follow the online instructions to build a Model T Ford or mini locomotive.
“Newcastle Art Gallery will also keep the youngest members of the family busy with their Art Cart at Home activities, or downloadable Art Trail activity booklets, while you can also take virtual tours to learn more about their fascinating collections.
“City of Newcastle’s significant investment in expanding our online library services part of our $5.5 million Community and Economic Resilience Package (CERP) last year has also provided a legacy of resources for our community to enjoy, including extensive e-book and e-audio platforms, movie and music streaming platforms, access to online newspapers and e-magazines, as well as online learning modules for both adults and school students.
“There is also an amazing array of children’s activities to watch, listen or read such as the StoryBox Library or National Geographic for Kids, while there are a large number of episodes to enjoy from Newcastle Libraries’ entertaining and informative ‘REAL’ podcast channel.”
To find out more about the digital activities being offered by Newcastle Art Gallery, Newcastle Museum and Newcastle Libraries visit https://whatson.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Blog/What-s-On-line

The Directors of Newcastle’s museum and art gallery will continue to guide the future direction of the State’s cultural sector after being reappointed today for a second two-year term to the Create NSW Artform Advisory Boards.
Newcastle Museum Director Julie Baird and Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton were first appointed to the boards in 2019 in recognition of their leading industry knowledge and expertise.

Ms Baird and Ms Morton’s reappointments are testament to their valuable contributions to City of Newcastle’s significant cultural facilities, and the success they have achieved building on the reputation of these respected institutions both within the region and across Australia.
Ms Baird will continue to sit on the Museums and History Board while Ms Morton retains her position on the Visual Arts Advisory Board.
It has been a landmark year for both City of Newcastle Directors and the cultural institutions they lead.
Newcastle Museum’s innovative social history exhibition, 1X4, which was curated from its own extensive collection, was named the overall winner at the 2021 Museums and Galleries National Awards (MAGNA) in June, while Ms Baird was also appointed as the Vice President of the National Council for the Australian Museums and Galleries Association Incorporated (AMaGA).
Newcastle Art Gallery’s On Stillness exhibition was also highly commended at the MAGNAs, while four years of work culminated in May with the opening of WARWAR: The Art of Torres Strait, a landmark exhibition focusing on the artistic traditions of the Torres Strait Islander culture, which brought together more than 130 works including art never before seen outside of the Torres Strait.
There are 10 Artform Advisory Boards that assess applications to the State’s Arts and Cultural Funding Program, providing recommendations on the strategic directions of the sector to the NSW Minister for the Arts Don Harwin.

A NSW Police Force civilian employee has been charged after allegedly impersonating a sworn police officer in the state’s north yesterday.
Yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 10 August 2021), police were notified that a man had allegedly impersonated a police officer and provided inaccurate information to a fast food restaurant concerning COVID-19.
Following inquiries, the 44-year-old man – who is attached to a command in the Northern Region – was arrested and charged with impersonate a police officer and convey false information that a person or property is in danger.
He was granted conditional bail to appear before Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 15 September 2021.
His employment status is under review.

City of Newcastle has postponed its New Annual festival, which was scheduled to take place from 24 September to 3 October.
The decision was made given ongoing COVID-19 cases in Greater Sydney and now the Hunter, New England area, and the associated public health, artist availability and restriction concerns.
City of Newcastle Strategy and Engagement Acting Director Kathleen Hyland said that while the decision to not go ahead with New Annual in September 2021 was disappointing, it was clear that now is not the time to be planning a festival.
“The decision to not go ahead with New Annual this September has been made with our community’s safety in mind,” Ms Hyland said.
“Following on from the success of our inaugural event in February, our team was in the midst of planning a New Annual that would take the festival to the next level with an outstanding program of events and performances, including new acts and new locations that would bring our city to life.
“But with headline artists coming from across Australia, and New Annual’s audience being drawn from far and wide, the current COVID environment means it is no longer appropriate, or possible, to deliver the kind of event we envisaged.
“I thank all the City of Newcastle staff, the creative community and stakeholders for the passion and commitment they have shown to New Annual, and everything they have done to prepare for the festival to this point.”
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said she looked forward to the festival’s return next year.
“City of Newcastle is committed to seeing New Annual grow into a landmark cultural festival on Australia’s annual events calendar and we look forward to seeing it return bigger and better in 2022,” Cr Nelmes said.
Cr Nelmes said City of Newcastle is exploring opportunities to engage some of the artists, who were scheduled to appear at New Annual, to deliver their works as part of programming for other events such as New Year’s Eve, subject to Public Health Orders.
This is the second time the pandemic has affected City of Newcastle’s plans for New Annual, with the inaugural festival postponed in September 2020 before being delivered in February 2021 with a comprehensive range of COVID Safe measures in place.
The inaugural event was a resounding success, attracting over 30,000 people to more than 50 events and activities across the city in a showcase of Newcastle’s arts and cultural sectors. The festival drew visitors from the surrounding regions, across the state and further afield including Queensland and Victoria.
More than 30 ticketed events and workshops were sold out during the inaugural New Annual, which supported more than 500 artists and 250 event staff, crew and volunteers.
New Annual will be back in September 2022.

Police are appealing for information after a COVID-19 testing clinic employee was spat at in the state’s Hunter at the weekend.
About 3pm Saturday (7 August 2021), an unknown man was waiting for a coronavirus test at a drive through clinic on Blomfield Street, Maitland, and became abusive after he was told the clinic was closing.
It’s alleged he then spat at the employee, narrowly missing him, before fleeing in a white coloured vehicle towards Wallace Street.
As inquiries continue, police believe a man described as being of Caucasian appearance and without his two front teeth may be of assistance to them.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or has information or dashcam vision that could assist police, to contact Maitland Police Station on (02) 4934 0200.
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.

The NSW Police Force is urging everyone in Regional NSW to maintain vigilance and compliance with Public Health Orders to prevent COVID-19 from spreading into their communities.
Officers from Police Districts across NSW are conducting high-visibility operations to support the community in ensuring compliance with the Public Health Orders and responding to reports of breaches.
Deputy Commissioner Mick Willing, Regional NSW Field Operations, said policing operations will be bolstered as required to protect regional and remote communities.
“The communities of Regional NSW have been doing a great job to keep the virus out of their areas, and we need to keep up that good work; now is not the time for complacency,” Deputy Commissioner Willing said.
“It’s more important than ever that we fully comply with the Public Health Orders – and report breaches, especially relating to visitors from any of the areas subject to stay-at-home orders.
“In recent days, NSW Health identified high levels of virus fragments were detected in sewerage in a number of major regional centres, including Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Dubbo, and Mudgee.
“These alerts are of concern, as we know in Armidale, positive cases have since been confirmed.”
With stay-at-home orders currently in place for the Hunter Region and Armidale and Guyra areas, Deputy Commissioner Willing urged those communities to do their bit through compliance.
“The Public Health Orders have been introduced for the health and safety of everyone, and while there is a significant police presence, our officers would prefer to not issue fines,” Deputy Commissioner Willing said.
“The message is pretty simple: if you don’t need to leave the house, stay home!
“If you’re heading out for an essential reason, please remember to put on a mask, maintain physical distance and check-in to all retail and business premises you visit.
“Regional communities are renowned for rolling their sleeves up and getting a job done, and just as they did in the Central West, I have no doubt the Hunter and Armidale communities will do what they have to do to eliminate COVID-19 from their areas.”
Various restrictions remain in also place for across NSW, which are critical for preventing the spread of COVID-19.
“Regional NSW is the lifeblood of the state, and we all just need to keep doing the right thing so we can keep everything moving,” Deputy Commissioner Willing said.
“Further, the Delta variant poses a significant risk to our most vulnerable communities, and we cannot allow it to spread any further into the regions or our remote areas.
“It only takes one person doing the wrong thing to spread the virus – and it’s encouraging for police to continue to have the community’s support through the reporting of this type of selfish behaviour.
“I implore all regional communities to do what they do best in difficult circumstances – band together and support each other.
“The key to stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives is working together.”
Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott praised the vigilance and efforts of our communities in Regional NSW.
“I thank our communities in Regional NSW for their cooperation during this time, and they should know that the police are working around the clock to support them and their loved ones”
“I urge everyone in Regional NSW to work with our police, in complying with the orders and to ensure we stop the spread of this virus in our regions.” Mr Elliott said.
For more information about COVID-19 rules and restrictions, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au
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