Category: Newcastle News

A man will reappear in court today charged over the alleged sexual touching of a teenage girl in the Hunter Region.
In November last year, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports a 14-year-old girl had been sexually touched by a man known to her.
Following extensive inquiries, officers arrested a 42-year-old man at a home near Cessnock on Tuesday 18 May 2021.
He was taken to Cessnock Police Station and charged with two counts of intentionally sexually touch child (aged between 10 and 16 years).
Police will allege in court that the man sexually touched the girl at a home in the state’s Hunter Region between August and September last year.
He appeared at Cessnock Local Court the same day, where he was formally refused bail to appear at the same court today (Wednesday 14 July 2021).
The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.
Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.
Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.

A man has been seriously injured during an affray in the state’s Hunter region overnight.
Just before 8pm (Tuesday 13 July 2021), a 28-year-old woman and a 35-year-old man were inside a home on Alliance Street, East Maitland, when three men and two women arrived at the home.
Police have been told the two groups were arguing when the situation escalated, and the 28-year-old woman was allegedly assaulted.
It’s then alleged one of the men has struck the 35-year-old resident several times in the back with a tomahawk.
The injured man contacted emergency services while the group left the scene.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended and established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The man was taken to John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition; his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
Following inquiries, about 12.20am (Wednesday 14 July 2021) police attended Bruce Street and arrested a 20-year-old woman.
She was taken to Maitland Police Station and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, wound person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company of other(s) and affray.
She was granted conditional bail to appear at Maitland Local Court on Thursday 12 August 2021.
Investigations are ongoing.

Projects designed to draw people into the City Centre and Darby Street will share in around $800,000 as part of a funding program driving visitation and vibrancy across Newcastle.
City of Newcastle’s Special Business Rate (SBR) program uses levies paid by business owners for the promotion, beautification and development of precincts in the City Centre/Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, New Lambton and Wallsend.
More than $1.6 million was distributed through the SBR program in 2020/21 to 19 projects successful under the contestable funding rounds, as well as funding and support services for Business Improvements Associations in the five precincts.
Modelling by REMPLAN shows last year’s SBR funding generated a total economic impact of $5,821,261 for the city with a return on investment of 349%.
Applications are now open for the new City Centre and Darby Street funding round, with around $800,000 available for projects that deliver the most effective, creative and innovative ideas to boost local businesses.
City of Newcastle’s SBR selection panel also recently assessed 10 suburban project applications for the Hamilton, New Lambton and Wallsend precincts. The panel approved four project proposals in Hamilton to share in the funding pool of $50,000.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the SBR program provided invaluable support for the business precincts, with outcomes that flowed through to the wider Newcastle area.
“City of Newcastle recognises the integral role and contribution of local businesses to the city’s economic development,” Cr Nelmes said.
“The Special Business Rate program is an important way to involve local businesses and the community in the development and promotion of their local business precincts.
“The creative and innovation projects delivered with SBR funding add to the vibrancy and activation of Newcastle, while also driving increased visitation and expenditure.”
Categories of focus include industry and business development; place activation and events; beautification and infrastructure development; and promotion.
Online public information sessions will be held on 20 and 21 July.
Angela Hailey from the Makers and Traders Newcastle said the SBR funding program had made a tangible impact on customer numbers as well as collaboration between independent businesses in the City Centre and Darby Street.
The group received City Centre funding in a previous round for their beautifully illustrated Makers and Traders “Treasure Map”, which provides visitors and residents with a navigational guide to local businesses and experiences. An updated version of the map featuring significantly more businesses is expected to be released later this month.
“The SBR funding enabled us to create this map, which promotes our group of independent traders to tourists while also encouraging lapsed locals to come back into town, and it’s been really well supported,” Ms Hailey said.
“The SBR funding also encouraged us to formalise our casual connections into this group, which enables us to do things on a collective level that we wouldn’t have been able to achieve on an individual level.”
More information about the Special Business Rate program and funding opportunities can be found at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/special-business-rates. Applications for the City Centre / Darby Street funding close on 31 July 2021.
Successful Hamilton SBR projects include:
Curious Creatures (Curious Legends)
A mini festival of afternoon and evening cultural activations in Hamilton’s Gregson Park, tentatively planned for November 2021. Local artists, musicians, light installations and puppeteers will activate the park, while the community are also invited to participate in free workshops at Hudson Street Hum prior to the event and get involved with performance opportunities.
Hamilton Hive Interactive Mural (UP&UP inspirations)
This project will design and paint an interactive mural on the exterior wall of the Community Hive building on Beaumont Street, Hamilton. The mural will make the space more vibrant and welcoming, encouraging people to visit the Hamilton precinct, and increasing foot traffic for businesses.
Walk With Us (Paul Maher)
This project will replace a number of existing mosaics with safe, level, slip resistant installations suitable for high foot traffic areas. The mosaics will beautify the Beaumont Street footpath, honour the suburb’s social and entrepreneurial history, encourage engagement with local businesses and celebrate our shared cultural heritage and history.

City of Newcastle’s 2021 Citizen of the Year Award recipients have led the inaugural flag-raising ceremony at 12 Stewart Avenue in recognition of their significant roles in our community.
The flagpoles were installed with specialist lighting as part of the fit-out of the City Administration Centre, allowing the flags to fly permanently day and night.

It follows the raising of all six flags at Newcastle City Hall in May, including, for the first time, the Torres Strait Island flag, following the five year project to restore the façade of City Hall.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath were joined by Citizen of the Year Professor Kelvin Kong and his four-year-old daughter Ellery, Senior Citizen of the Year Jaci Lappin, 2019 Young Citizen of the Year Dr Bhavi Ravindran, and Community Group of the Year representatives Janice Musumeci and Evan Reid from Hamilton Business Association Inc, in raising the Australian, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Island, United Nations, New South Wales and City of Newcastle flags for the first time at the City’s new headquarters.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it was a proud and historic moment to see all six flags flying at both of the City’s civic buildings.
“Newcastle’s City Hall was the first civic building in the country to fly the Aboriginal flag when the then Lord Mayor Joy Cummings raised the flag in 1977, and earlier this year the Torres Strait Islander flag was raised atop City Hall for the first time,” Cr Nelmes said.
“I am proud of our city’s legacy, and to be able to share this moment today with our Citizens of the Year, who are each creating their own legacies for Newcastle.”
The flag-raising ceremony completes the City Administration Centre’s move to Newcastle West to deliver a new era of services in one central location, including office space for 450 administrative staff and award-winning Community and Civic Hub, with the co-located Digital Library, Council Chamber and Customer Service Centre winning first place in their respective categories at the recent New South Wales Local Government Awards.
It also features a purpose-built Local Emergency Operations Centre, providing a dedicated space where City of Newcastle can work with emergency services including Police, SES, Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance and others to deliver a coordinated response to natural disasters and other incidents.
Co-locating a range of facilities at the new City Administration Centre is resulting in more efficiencies and better customer service, as well as access to one of the most digitally advanced libraries in NSW.

A man missing from the Hunter Valley area has been located safe and well.
The 47-year-old was reported missing to Police by a family member about 10.30am on Sunday 4 July 2021.
Following inquiries by officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District, the man was located by officers attached to Newcastle City Police District in the Newcastle area on Tuesday.
Police would like to thank the media and public for their assistance.

In a huge coup for the city, Newcastle will host its first rugby league State of Origin game, with the third and final match of the 2021 series to take place at McDonald Jones Stadium on Wednesday 14 July.
The decision means Newcastle will be the centre of the rugby league universe for an estimated 2.5 million Australians who are expected to tune in for the final game of the 2021 Origin season.
One of the rugby league’s showpiece calendar events, game three of the Origin series will reinforce Newcastle as an emerging major-event city.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Newcastle was a clear choice for the NRL to host a State of Origin outside of Sydney on the back of successful events like this year’s World Surf League Newcastle Cup and the recent SAANZAR International Rugby Championship, both held as COVID Safe major events.
“Newcastle has shown time and time again that it’s an outstanding host city for major events thanks to the support of this Council, the professionalism of local providers and the passion of Novocastrians for sport, music and the arts,” Cr Nelmes said.
“City of Newcastle has a strategic focus on attracting and retaining major events as they stimulate the local economy, attract visitors, provide recreational opportunities for locals and enhance our position as a truly global city.
“Rugby league is part of Newcastle’s history and social fabric, which is why a State of Origin played right here at McDonald Jones Stadium is a big win for locals.
“While the series has been wrapped up by the Blues, we know Queensland will be determined to avoid a clean sweep when they play here in Newcastle next Wednesday.
“I would like to thank the Deputy Premier John Barilaro for his advocacy to bring this historic match to Newcastle. Up the Blues!”
The State of Origin match will be held with all relevant COVID Safe protocols in place and with NSW Police monitoring and enforcing Public Health Order restrictions.
The ground capacity will be 75 per cent seated capacity on the night, meaning up to 20,000 people can watch the teams battle it out.
The New South Wales Blues are looking to be the first team to notch a 3-0 series clean sweep since Queensland Maroons achieved the feat in 2010.
The Blues will also be hoping to be the first NSW team to win a series 3-0 since their coach Brad Fittler achieved the feat as a player more than two decades ago in 2000.

A fines-free initiative introduced to support library members during COVID-19 has been extended indefinitely by City of Newcastle.
Fines for overdue library loans were temporarily suspended as part of City of Newcastle’s $5.5 million Community and Economic Resilience Package (CERP), which was announced on 20 March last year as part of a targeted response to the growing impacts of COVID-19.
Fines are seen as a barrier to membership for some of the most disadvantaged members of the community, creating unnecessary stress and discouraging them from engaging with the wide variety of free resources on offer at our libraries.
But since the onset of the pandemic and the removal of the overdue fees, membership at Newcastle Libraries has risen by more than 7,500 people.
The success of the fines-free concept has led to its long-term continuation, creating another incentive for people to sign up to become members.
City of Newcastle and Newcastle Libraries prioritise customer-centred services and positive member experiences, with greater access, increased services and additional ways to connect.
Fees for lost and damaged items continue to apply.
Membership is free and open to anyone who lives, works or regularly travels in the Newcastle region. Find out more about becoming a member at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/library or contact the Libraries team on 4974 5300.

A man has been charged after allegedly failing to stop and assist after a crash in the state’s Hunter region yesterday.
Shortly after 3pm (Tuesday 6 July 2021), emergency services were called to the intersection of Cooper and King Streets, Cessnock, following reports a Holden Rodeo and a motorcycle had collided.
Officers from the Hunter Valley Police District attended; however, the rider had fled prior to police arrival.
The Holden driver, a 43-year-old woman, was uninjured.
Soon after, police responded to reports an injured man had attended a business on Vincent Street, seeking assistance for head injuries.
The man left prior to police attendance and following inquiries, officers located and arrested a 26-year-old man a short distance away at a home on Cumberland Street.
He was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital under police guard with head and leg injuries and abrasions.
He has since been charged with nine offences, including:

• Resist officer in execution of duty (x2),
• Not stop vehicle when directed to do so,
• Drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous,
• Not give particulars to other driver,
• Never licensed person drive vehicle on road,
• Use unregistered vehicle on road or road related area,
• Use uninsured motor vehicle on road, and,
• Possess or use a prohibited weapon without permit.

Three outstanding warrants were also executed.
The Abermain man was refused bail and remains in hospital, he is due to face Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 7 July 2021).

A man has died in a single-vehicle crash in Lake Macquarie earlier today.
Shortly before 7am (Tuesday 6 July 2021), emergency services were called to Freemans Drive, about 2km south of Cessnock Road at Cooranbong, after reports a vehicle travelling northbound had left the road and crashed down an embankment.
Upon arrival, police located the driver – and sole occupant – trapped in the vehicle.
He died at the scene and is yet to be formally identified, but is believed to be aged in his 40s.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended and established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or may have dashcam footage is urged to come forward.