Category: Newcastle News

Wednesday 18 June

• From 8am to 1pm, buses replace trains between Newcastle Interchange and Telarah or Muswellbrook.
• The 08:29 Newcastle Interchange to Dungog will not run. Catch the 08:48 Newcastle Interchange to Telarah train and change at Maitland for a bus towards Dungog.
• Buses also replace the 10:02 Dungog to Newcastle Interchange service.
  
• Replacement buses for trackwork may be affected by driver shortages. We are doing all we can to minimise the impact to your journey and provide a safe service, however cancellations or delays may occur.
• Plan your trip before you travel for up-to-date real time information. You can also subscribe to planned trackwork alerts.

Bus routes
1HU Newcastle Interchange, all stations to Telarah and return
4HU Maitland, all stations to Dungog (in that direction only)
7HU Warabrook Station to University shuttle bus
15HU Maitland, all stations to Muswellbrook (in that direction only)
19HU Dungog, all stations to Maitland, Victoria Street, all stations to Beresfield, Warabrook, all stations to Newcastle Interchange (in that direction only)
28HU Muswellbrook, all stations to Maitland, Victoria Street, all stations to Beresfield, Warabrook, all stations to Newcastle Interchange (in that direction only)

Maitland students will soon be enjoying new play space and modern classrooms as the Minns Labor Government delivers a multimillion-dollar upgrade for historic Thornton Public School in the 2025-26 Budget.

The major upgrade for the school, which dates back to 1919, will include a new, state-of-the-art building with 16 new contemporary classrooms, a new library, new student and staff bathrooms, additional parking and a covered outdoor learning area (COLA).

Due for completion in 2028, the upgrade will expand the school’s capacity and help cater for the population boom in the local area.

Maitland is one of the fastest-growing areas in NSW, with significant population growth underway southeast of the Maitland city centre. In the Thornton and Chisholm communities, the number of students has already increased from 2,100 in 2018 to 3,000 students in 2025. It’s expected these areas will expand by close to 9,500 people in the coming years.

Despite this rapid population growth, the Liberals and Nationals denied Thornton Public School needed an upgrade, saying the school was dealing with temporary “fluctuations” in enrolments in 2022.

After 12 years of mismanagement and neglect by the Liberals and Nationals, the Minns Labor Government is building a better a better NSW.

We are providing the essential school infrastructure that young families rely on, giving our children a head start and setting our state up for long-term prosperity.

As part of our long-term plan, the Minns Labor Government is delivering better public school facilities for families across the Hunter region.

This includes delivering a new public school and high school at Huntlee, a new high school for Medowie, major school upgrades at Newcastle High School, Hunter River High School and Irrawang High School, and a full redevelopment of Gillieston Public School in Maitland, which will deliver a new co-located public preschool.

These upgrades are part of the Minns Labor Government’s record $9 billion investment over four years to deliver new and upgraded schools across NSW.

Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning Courtney Houssos said:

“In recent years, the community in and around Thornton has rapidly grown – but the Liberals and Nationals denied this school needed an expansion.

“The Minns Labor Government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car and the tireless advocacy of Jenny Aitchison, have listened to the community, and I am delighted to announce we will deliver this long-awaited major upgrade for the Thornton Public School community.

“This new project, as part of the Minns Government’s budget, demonstrates our commitment to continue delivering the vital school infrastructure that Hunter families need.”

Member for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said:

“This is a huge win for our community. This area is growing rapidly, and our schools need to grow, too. This upgrade ensures our kids have the learning environment they need.

“This is about future-proofing education in one of NSW’s fastest growing areas.”

Thornton Public School principal Stuart Wylie said:

“Our school community is thrilled to see this project get the green light. We are rapidly growing, and this upgrade will make a real difference to our students and teachers.

“We’re excited to see our school evolve to meet the needs of our growing community while keeping learning on track every step of the way.”

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Hunter region.

John Littler, aged 50, was last seen on Labulla Parade, Glendale, about 7:40pm on Sunday 15 June 2025.

Unable to be located or contacted since, officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were notified yesterday (Monday 16 June 2025) and commenced inquiries to locate him.

Police and family members hold serious concerns for John’s welfare as he lives with medical conditions which require medication.

John is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, of solid build, with short grey hair and a grey beard.

He is known to frequent Redhead Beach and Nobbys Beach/break wall.

Margarete Ritchie was just three years old when she and her family left Austria in 1955 to make a new life on the other side of the world. 

Their journey across the Red Sea and Indian Ocean to Australia is just one of the stories woven into the rich tapestry of memory in Newcastle Museum’s new exhibition, Heimat in the Hunter, which opens to the public tomorrow. 

Hedy Fairbairn, Associate Professor Julie McIntyre, Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge, Julie Baird, Dr Sacha Davis, Tim Crakanthorp and Dr Jaime Hunt take a look at the new Heimat in the Hunter exhibition, which opens at Newcastle Museum tomorrow.

Developed in partnership with the University of Newcastle and drawing on the academic research of Dr Sacha Davis, Dr Jaime Hunt and Associate Professor Julie McIntyre, the free exhibition reveals the history and experiences of German-speakers in the Hunter region. 

German is the tenth most common language other than English spoken in Newcastle and the Hunter. 

Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge said exhibitions such as Heimat in the Hunter offer a valuable insight into the history of our city. 

“It is important to share and preserve stories of the communities and residents who have made Newcastle what it is today,” Cr Kerridge said. 

“I commend the work of Newcastle Museum and the University of Newcastle on this wonderful exhibition, which will hopefully promote better understanding of the city’s many migrant community experiences.”

City of Newcastle’s Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, said partnerships between Newcastle Museum and research institutions like the University of Newcastle offer new ways to connect the public with contemporary historical research.  

“This is a history not just of German-speaking migrants, but of courage, creativity and connection, where objects become anchors for memory, cultural continuity and the migrant experience,” Ms Baird said. 

“Heimat in the Hunter brings together humble objects, images and interviews that reveal extraordinary stories and the importance of home and connecting world events to our shared local stories.” 

The exhibition showcases items from the Museum’s collection as well as treasured family heirlooms generously loaned by members of the community. 

Margarete’s story is brought to life through the remarkable travel album created by her father, Franz Ranzenbacher, which is filled with descriptions and photographs of their journey as well as a hand-drawn map of their migration route. 

Travelling with her mother, father and eight-year-old sister, Margarete set off from Genoa aboard the MS Aurelia and sailed through the Suez Canal to Columbo in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), before docking in Fremantle and then finally Sydney, where they caught a train to the Greta Migrant Camp. 

“I am quite honoured to have my parent’s quest to make a good home for their family in Australia, far from the turmoil in Europe in the early to mid-1950s, included in this exhibition,” Mrs Ritchie said. 

A beautiful wool dinner suit tailored by Franz Schwaller helps tell the story of Viennese migrant Ernst Baumwald, who left war-torn Europe in 1939 to make a new life in Newcastle. 

With strict limitations on what he could bring with him, Ernst arrived in Australia with little more than some clothing, a collection of German-language engineering books and his precious slide rule, which are among the items loaned to the exhibition by his daughter Hedy Fairbairn.   

“Ernst was a civil engineer and spent the larger part of his working life at Newcastle’s State Dockyard. He was responsible for the design of the turntable on the Southern Hemisphere’s first drive-on-drive-off passenger ship, Princess of Tasmania,” Mrs Fairbairn said. 

“Two vital items came with him from Vienna: his technical books/manuals and his slide rule. He relied on those books all his working life. Every calculation and computation for his design work was made with that slide rule. Later in life he purchased a pocket calculator, but the slide rule was never truly replaced.”   

University of Newcastle Discipline Lead for History, Dr. Sacha Davis, said German-speaking migrants form an important element in the rich history of the Newcastle and Hunter region.  

“Their experiences on the one hand are individual and specific, and on the other hand speak to the story of migration to the region more broadly. Yet German-speaking migration to the region has frequently been overlooked,” Dr Davis said.  

“The great strength of this exhibition has been the passionate and generous involvement of the community in the telling of these stories.” 

Visitors to the exhibition are also encouraged to share their stories via a QR code as part of the University of Newcastle’s current research project, German as a Heritage Language and Culture in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley, led by Dr Hunt. 

This exhibition has been supported by the NSW Government, through Create NSW, the University of Newcastle Copley Bequest Pilot Research Fund, and the Australian Linguistic Society. 

Heimat in the Hunter opens on Tuesday 17 June and will be on display until Sunday 21 September.

Work will begin tomorrow on a new playground and half-court basketball area at Beauford Avenue Reserve in Maryland as part of City of Newcastle’s annual Playground Replacement Program.

Playgrounds at Morpeth Road Reserve at Waratah West, Johnson Park at Lambton and Stockton Pool will also be replaced as part of a $750,000 investment to provide improved recreational opportunities for families across the local government area.

An artist’s impression of the new playground and half-court basketball facility being built by City of Newcastle at Beauford Avenue Reserve in Maryland.

City of Newcastle’s Executive Manager Community and Recreation Lynn Duffy said the Playground Replacement Program has upgraded, replaced or improved 28 popular recreational areas since 2018.

“We know parks and playgrounds are an integral part of life in Newcastle,” Ms Duffy said.

“City of Newcastle has invested more than $14 million into playground projects across Newcastle during the past seven Budgets as part of our commitment to delivering enhanced and accessible recreational opportunities for the community. 

“Additionally, the draft 2025/26 Budget features $10 million for the Foreshore Park inclusive playspace, which will be the city’s first regional level playground, with $750,000 also included for the local playground renewals.

“The four playgrounds chosen as part of this year’s Playground Replacement Program will receive new equipment such as nest seat swings, climbing structures, a variety of slides, rubber softfall and inground trampolines.

“Work will begin at Maryland tomorrow and over the next few weeks we’ll carry out demolition, drainage improvements, concreting and sandstone elements to get the site ready for the equipment as soon as possible.”

Chair of City of Newcastle’s Infrastructure Strategic Advisory Committee, Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz, said it’s important to consider the needs of all users when designing playgrounds.

“We aim to deliver enhanced and accessible playspaces for children right across the city,” Ms Winney-Baartz said.

“We’ve incorporated inclusive play elements into each location, as well as challenging play components such as slides and bridges.

“Beauford Avenue Reserve Playground and Stockton Pool Playground will have new paths added to ensure everyone can access the facilities.”

The playground at Stockton Pool is due to be replaced by the time swimmers return to the facility in September, in addition to new barbecue shelters.

Morpeth Road Reserve and Johnson Park playgrounds are scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Councillors will vote on the adoption of the 2025/26 Budget and Delivery Program at Tuesday night’s Council meeting, which will see more than $154 million invested across 344 projects. 

This includes 192 projects addressing road and traffic network improvements, 138 projects supporting cycleways and pedestrian networks and 86 projects that will focus on recreation and sport.

CEO Jeremy Bath said next year City of Newcastle’s average infrastructure spend per property will be about 10% greater than the average residential property will pay in rates.

“A $154 million capital works program means we are going to invest almost $2,100 per property improving infrastructure, which is $200 more than the average annual residential rate,” Mr Bath said. 

“This means we’re investing more than 100% of the average annual rate paid into improving the city’s infrastructure.

“City of Newcastle’s capital works program is also $50 million higher than any other local council in the region, representing our commitment to meeting the needs and expectations of our growing community.

“We’re balancing the need for new infrastructure with maintaining our assets, with a record $58 million being invested into the renewal and maintenance of existing infrastructure, which represents more than half of our total infrastructure spend.” 

Chief Financial Officer David Clarke said City of Newcastle undertook an extensive communications campaign to support the public exhibition of the draft 2025/26 Budget and Delivery Program.

“The key themes that emerged from community feedback were active transport infrastructure such as footpaths and cycleways, as well as parks, playgrounds and sporting facilities,” Mr Clarke said.

“Other areas of interest included local centre upgrades, support for night-time trade and special entertainment precincts, the need for more affordable housing, as well as flooding and drainage.

“Changes have been made to the draft Budget following public exhibition to incorporate the delivery of the commemorative plaque audit and replacement plan, the estimated costs of the proposed $2 inland swimming pool entry fee trial at Mayfield, Wallsend, Stockton and Beresfield, as well as 13 additional apprentices and trainees to be employed by City of Newcastle.

“Despite the challenges, we are forecasting a small surplus of $250,000, providing us with the financial capacity to maintain services and meet the commitments we’ve made to the community.”

Other highlights of the 2025/26 Budget include:

• $42.2 million on road renewal and road upgrades, including the western corridor road widening at Minmi Road and Longworth Avenue
• $20.6 million on recreation, aquatics, and sports improvements, including the Foreshore Park playspace
• $11.9 million on coastal, city, and urban centres including the East End Hunter Street Mall and Georgetown local centre
• $9.4 million on waste management and Summerhill Waste Management Centre
• $7.1 million on street and park trees, bushland and watercourses, and Blackbutt Reserve
• $6 million on bridge renewal and upgrades including Boscawen Street, Wallsend
• $5.5 million on footpath and pedestrian projects
• $5.4 million on cultural facilities including Art Gallery, Libraries, Museum, Fort Scratchley and our Civic venues
• $5.3 million on city-wide stormwater upgrades, flood planning and management works including Cooks Hill
• $5.1 million on coastal management including Stockton coastline protection work, estuary, and wetlands
• $4.4 million on an affordable housing project at Rail Bridge Row
• $4.1 million on cycleway projects and another $1.9 million on cycleways as part of larger projects
• $3.5 million to upgrade the State Emergency Services building at Mayfield West
• $1.5 million on climate action and sustainability initiatives
• $0.9 million to progress the design for a reimagined western building at Queens Wharf

Following a recommendation from the recent independent review of City of Newcastle, a change has been made to the Budget to show both the forecast spend of each project in the capital works program as well as the phase of the project. 

Forecast spend for projects that are forecast to go to tender within the next six months are not shown to ensure competitive tension within the tendering process remains.

A project to triple Newcastle’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network is nearing completion, with 34 new charging ports being added across 11 locations citywide.

Local and visiting EV drivers have already started enjoying the convenience of an expanded charging network, with new chargers operational at Lambton, Wallsend, Hamilton, Stockton, Adamstown, Mayfield, Newcastle, Newcastle East and Wickham. Sites at Beresfield and Georgetown will be completed in the coming weeks.

EV chargers on Wharf Road in NewcastleExecutive Director Planning and Environment Michelle Bisson said the new public chargers installed by City of Newcastle will benefit the growing number of EV drivers and encourage others to make the switch.

“Our Newcastle Environment Strategy has a target of 52% of all new car registrations being EVs by 2030-31,” Ms Bisson said.

“The signs are already encouraging, with more than 1,350 EVs currently registered in Newcastle, a number which has risen by more than 1000% in the past four years.

“One of the challenges, however, is that many drivers lack access to off-street parking to charge an EV.

“Increasing the availability of public chargers in different suburbs is an important step in achieving our goal of driving EV uptake and creating a cleaner, quieter, and lower emissions city.”

The installation of the new chargers is co-funded by a $270,000 grant from the NSW Government as part of the EV Kerbside Charging Grants (the program).

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said the NSW Government has approved $4.1 million in co-funding to install 671 EV charging ports in 16 local government areas, including Newcastle, during round one of the program.

“Investing in EV charging infrastructure is about making sure Newcastle is keeping up with the growing demand for electric vehicles,” Minister Catley said.

“It’s not just about future-proofing our energy grid – it’s also about making every day travel easier and more accessible for everyone. 

“Having more charging points across Newcastle means people can drive with confidence, knowing they’ll have the support they need to charge up and get where they need to go.”

Member for Charlestown, Minister Jodie Harrison said, “this partnership between local and state government is delivering real, practical infrastructure that supports the growing number of EV drivers in our region.”

Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp said, “this major expansion of EV charging stations shows Newcastle is leading the charge toward a cleaner, more sustainable future for our community.”

Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said, “expanding EV charging infrastructure in the Hunter is key to meeting our state’s emissions targets and supporting the transition to electric vehicles.”

“I’m very glad to see this investment in our suburbs and making the switch over to EV’s easier for those who choose to do it.”

Chair of City of Newcastle’s Strategy and Innovation Strategic Advisory Committee, Councillor Declan Clausen, welcomed the roll-out of public EV charging infrastructure, which is a key deliverable in the Newcastle Environment Strategy.

“Tripling the number of public EV chargers is an important step towards our city-wide transition to net zero emissions,” Cr Clausen said.

“These new chargers are strategically located within key local centres to support economic activity and benefit local businesses. They will be powered by 100% renewable energy that comes from a combination of our Summerhill Solar Farm and existing power purchase agreement with the Sapphire wind farm.

“To ensure Newcastle remains a leader in sustainable transport, City of Newcastle is also working to finalise a comprehensive EV and Low Emissions Transport Strategy to guide further investment.” 

The 34 new chargers add to existing infrastructure at Wharf Road, No. 2 Sportsground, Laman Street and Perkins Street in the CBD, to create a public EV charging network of 50 ports across 15 locations across Newcastle.

For more information, visit: https://newcastle.nsw.gov.au/about-us/news-and-updates/projects-and-works/ev-chargers