Category: Newcastle News

Inquiries are underway into a single-vehicle crash near Cessnock overnight.
About 11.15pm (Thursday 8 April 2021), emergency services were called to a private road at Pelaw Main and found a Subaru Forrester had hit a barrier.
A 17-year-old youth suffered critical injuries after he was thrown from the front passenger seat and died at the scene.
The 17-year-old driver of the vehicle was taken to John Hunter Hospital with minor injuries; he’s also undergone mandatory testing.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District established a crime scene and have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A report will be prepared for the information of the Coroner.

With some of Australia’s funniest comedians on the line-up across four hilarious shows, Civic Theatre is set to become Newcastle’s new home of comedy.
The Civic will deliver plenty of laughs in coming months including two of the country’s favourite comedy convoys – Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow (11-12 June), and the Sydney Comedy Festival Showcase (1 October) – which bring some of the hottest acts from their respective festivals to regional locations across Australia.
Taree comedian and The Block favourite Andy Saunders will saunter into town for the Melbourne Roadshow alongside regular Triple J guest and The Project correspondent Sam Taunton, with more top-class comedians still to be added to the bill.
The Civic Comedy Club (25 June and 23 July) will provide another outlet for home-grown humour in the style of New York’s famed Comedy Cellar, where you never know just who will turn up for an unexpected night of hilarity.
Moving to its new permanent location in the Banquet Room City Hall, the Civic Comedy Club still gives you cabaret-style dining, drinks brought to your table and the intimate type of entertainment that makes for a perfect night out. This local initiative re-opened the Civic Theatre immediately following COVID-19 restrictions in 2020, and then returned for a one-off show as part of the New Annual festival, and has proved hugely popular.
The Civic Comedy Club is presented in conjunction with Big Dog Comedy, wrapping up a busy couple of months for the local comedy show organisers after the return of their Newcastle Comedy Festival Gala to Civic Theatre on May 28.
City of Newcastle has provided support for the Newcastle Comedy Festival through its Event Sponsorship Program.
Newcastle Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said attracting and delivering live performances in local venues was essential for creating an activated city centre with a vibrant night-time economy.
“The Civic Comedy Club was one of the first shows on stage when the Civic Theatre was able to re-open its doors to the public last year following months of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions,” Cr Clausen said.
“Through the popularity of the Newcastle Comedy Festival, the Civic Comedy Club and a wide range of regular touring acts to the Civic Theatre and surrounding venues, City of Newcastle is fast becoming an iconic stop on the national comedy touring circuit.
“By enabling gigs at iconic local venues like City Hall, and sponsoring comedy events through our grants and sponsorship programs, City of Newcastle is proud to be strongly supporting our local comedy scene, which adds another dimension to our diverse Newcastle after dark economy.”
Civic Theatre Manager Leonie Wallace said moving our own Civic Comedy Club to a permanent home is designed to deliver a perfect blend of food and entertainment within the Civic precinct.
“The Civic Comedy Club at City Hall rounds out our annual program of first-class comedy offerings on the Civic Theatre main stage, sitting nicely alongside our subscription season comedy blockbusters, the Melbourne and Sydney Comedy Festival showcases, the Newcastle Comedy Festival, and national comedy treasures such as Carl Barron. This means that if you love comedy, we really do have something for everyone!” Ms Wallace said.
“We’re looking forward to seeing these shows bring another of the Civic precinct’s landmark buildings to life with the move to the more intimate space of the Banquet Room. With access via a rear laneway off Wheeler Place, and the room staged to take on the vibe of Manhattan’s popular Comedy Cellar, the Civic Comedy Club will give Novocastrians the chance to experience the ambience and unpredictability of the stand-up clubs you find in New York, Los Angeles or Melbourne.”
Visit civictheatrenewcastle.com.au to book tickets and keep up-to-date with the latest line-up announcements for the upcoming comedy shows. Bookings for the subscription season shows are already open, while tickets for the Civic Comedy Club will go on sale to the general public on 13 April.

A woman has been charged following an alleged hit and run crash at Newcastle last week.
About 5.45am (Thursday 1 April 2021), emergency services were called to Douglas Street, Wallsend, after reports a motorcyclist had been knocked from his bike by a black SUV.
The rider – aged 18 – was assessed by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital suffering a fractured pelvis and femur.
Officers from the Hunter Crash Investigation Unit attended and commenced an investigation.
Following inquiries, a 28-year-old woman attended Waratah Police Station yesterday (Wednesday 7 April 2021), where she was arrested.
She was charged with six offences including negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and fail to stop and render assistance.
She was granted conditional bail to appear at Belmont Local Court on Wednesday 5 May 2021.

Police are appealing for public assistance after an elderly man was injured in an incident in the Hunter region yesterday.
About 4.40pm (Thursday 8 April 2021), officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called to Lawson Avenue, Woodberry, following reports of a man with facial injuries.
Upon arrival, police located a 78-year-old man with abrasions to his nose and cheek.
Officers were told the man was walking along the footpath when he observed two young males in front of him.
One of the boys rode across the street on a black or dark blue bike, before the other boy allegedly demanded money and the 78-year-old man’s mobile phone.
When the man declined, the boy allegedly picked up a large stick and swung it at the man, causing him to fall to the ground.
The boy left the scene a short time later.
As inquiries continue, police have released a description of two boys who may be able to assist with their inquiries.
The first boy is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged 12 to 14 years and about 155 to 160cm tall. He was riding a black BMX bike.
The second boy is described as being of Caucasian appearance, aged 12 to 14 years, about 150 to 155cm tall, with a slim build and short brown hair. He was wearing a light-coloured T-shirt and dark long pants. The boy was riding a black or dark blue scooter.
Police are appealing for anyone with information, or dashcam footage from the area, to contact Maitland Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for assistance to locate a man missing from the Lake Macquarie area.
John Barrett, aged 51, was last seen at Belmont on Wednesday 4 November 2020.
Lake Macquarie Police were notified in January 2021 and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.
Police and family members hold concerns for his welfare due to a medical condition; John also hasn’t made contact with family since November and hasn’t used his bank account.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, between 175cm to 180cm tall, with a thin build, light brown shoulder-length hair, a beard and blue eyes.
He is known to frequent areas of Lake Macquarie, Newcastle and Port Stephens; he is also known to use the public transport network and other public facilities.
Anyone who may have seen John or that may know of his whereabouts is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A woman and two children – who’d been reported missing from The Children’s Hospital at Westmead at the weekend – have been found safe.
The 26-year-old woman and her children – aged four and one ¬– were found a short time ago at a home in Metford (Thursday 8 April 2021).
Police thank the community and media for their assistance in sharing our message

City of Newcastle is seeking feedback from the community on erosion management options for the northern area of Stockton Beach as part of work underway on the Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) 2021.
The land to the north of Meredith Street is owned and managed by Defence Housing Australia, Hunter Water, Crown Land and the Department of Communities and Justice, and City of Newcastle is working closely with these stakeholders during development of the 2021 CMP.
A long list of coastal management options for the Stockton CMP 2021 has been assessed with four schemes identified to best complement the mass sand nourishment agreed on in the Stockton CMP 2020 while also providing a buffer from erosion and considering the environment, social amenity and recreational use of the beach.
The four schemes that have progressed for further investigation for the northern end of Stockton Beach from Meredith Street to the Port Stephens Local Government Area boundary include maintenance nourishment, an artificial reef, an artificial headland and sand back passing.
City of Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said work is underway on the Stockton CMP 2021, with an aim of identifying additional coastal management options to extend the life of mass sand nourishment.
“We’re investigating the feasibility of these schemes to ensure each is possible and would provide consideration to the entire Stockton Bight,” Cr Nelmes said.
“During this early phase we are gathering feedback from the community on the schemes that have been developed to help prolong mass sand nourishment.
“The Stockton Community Liaison Group has provided feedback on the positives and drawbacks of each scheme, allowing the designs to progress to this point.
“We would now like to hear from the wider community about what people like or don’t like about the options we’re considering, and why.”
City of Newcastle Director Infrastructure Ken Liddell said that following community consultation, the proposed schemes would then be put through rigorous technical tests.
“For schemes that are considered feasible, we will then carry out a viability assessment, which will take the cost of each scheme into account and allow us to carry out a cost-benefit analysis,” Mr Liddell said.
Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said the community will have another chance to provide feedback on viable projects before implementation.
“There will be further opportunities for the community to have their say on the schemes being considered for Stockton CMP 2021 later in the year, and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community towards another positive outcome for the beach and the community,” Cr Clausen said.
The Stockton CMP 2021 will update the Stockton CMP 2020 to include the northern end of Stockton Beach beyond Meredith Street, with the City reiterating that this land is owned and managed by Defence Housing Australia, Hunter Water, Crown Land and the Department of Communities and Justice.
City of Newcastle is working closely with these stakeholders during development of the 2021 CMP.
“These stakeholders must agree to the coastal management actions in the Stockton CMP 2021 to allow it to be sent for certification from the State Government. Without agreement, the CMP cannot progress,” Cr Nelmes said.
The community is encouraged to learn more about the management options and provide feedback at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Stockton or by accessing a paper survey at Stockton Library.
Stockton Beach (north) Coastal Management Program options
Maintenance Nourishment
This involves replacing the sand that currently moves north from Stockton Beach along the Stockton Bight each year – about 112,000m3 or 45 Olympic swimming pools. The aim of this scheme is to actively ‘keep the sand moving’ by mimicking/reinstating the natural sand flow, something that has been limited at Stockton.
The benefit of this approach is that the northward movement of sand would provide a buffer for the Stockton Bight coastline. For this to go ahead, we still need to identify a source for the sand and identify the long-term environmental impacts of retrieving and depositing this additional sand on a regular basis. Work on this has started.
Artificial Headland
This involves building an artificial headland that would extend into the ocean by around 150 to 200 metres. The aim of this scheme is to ‘keep sand in the system’ as the headland will slow the northern movement of sand along Stockton Bight. There will also be recreational benefits.
As part of this scheme, sand will build up on the southern side of the headland. Once it has built up, sand will bypass the headland and then feed the beach to the north. Once construction is complete the shoreline to the north of the structure will realign landward.
For this to go ahead, we still need to confirm exactly how the headland will work. Specific scientific modelling will determine sand volumes held by the structure and sand volumes bypassing the structure. Work on this has started.
Artificial Reef
This involves building a submerged artificial reef. The artificial reef would slow the northward movement of sand along Stockton Bight by reducing wave energy reaching the beach, providing a surfing benefit. With the aim to ‘keep sand in the system’ the sand will build up on the southern side of the reef. The reef would not stop sand movement to the north as the artificial headland option initially does. Once construction is complete, the shoreline to the north of the structure will realign.
For this to go ahead, we need to find out if we have the ability/need to build more than one reef and learn exactly how it would work. Specific modelling will determine sand volumes held by the structure and sand volumes by passing the structure. Work on this has started.
Sand Back Passing System
This involves re-circulating sand using machinery that will collect sand, feeding it via a pipe network to the south, to outlets placed along Stockton Beach. This scheme aims to ‘keep sand in the system’ by re-circulating sand, following mass nourishment.
It would be powered by a pump station, allowing wet sand to flow from the outlets onto Stockton Beach. The pumping rate will allow for the water to run into the ocean leaving the sand to fall out, building the beach up during a campaign. During operation, small sections of the beach would be closed to the public, however most of the beach would remain open.
For this to go ahead, we still need to determine the exact location for the infrastructure and run scientific modelling around the volumes of sand that will be used. We are also yet to determine how frequently the system would need to operate. Work on this has started.

A man has been arrested following an alleged armed robbery and pursuit near Maitland.
About 1.30pm (Tuesday 6 April 2021), police were called to a takeaway shop on Lawson Avenue, Beresfield, following reports a man – armed with a firearm – entered the store and threatened an employee.
The man fled the scene a short time later in a Mazda 3; no one was injured during the incident.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced a large-scale search for the man.
Police patrolling the area spotted the Mazda 3 on Woodberry Road and initiated a short pursuit.
The Mazda stopped and a 42-year-old man was arrested without incident.
Officers conducted a search of the vehicle, where they located and seized a gel blaster gun. The vehicle has also been seized for forensic testing.
The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station, where inquiries are continuing.
A crime scene has been established.
Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is urged to contact police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A man has been charged over an alleged armed robbery and pursuit in the Hunter region yesterday.
About 1.30pm (Tuesday 6 April 2021), police were called to a takeaway shop on Lawson Avenue, Beresfield, following reports a man – armed with a firearm – entered the store and threatened two female employees.
The man demanded cash before leaving the store along Beresford Avenue.
Police will further allege the man threatened a 21-year-old man with the firearm a short time later and demanded his phone and wallet.
The man fled the scene in a Mazda 3; no one was injured during either incident.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced a large-scale search for the man.
Police patrolling the area noticed the Mazda 3 on Woodberry Road and initiated a short pursuit.
The Mazda stopped and a 43-year-old man was arrested without incident.
Officers conducted a search of the vehicle, where they located and seized a weapon. The vehicle has also been seized for forensic testing.
The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was subjected to a breath analysis, which returned an alleged reading of 0.244.
He was charged with five offences including two counts of robbery while armed with a dangerous weapon, and one count each of possess unregistered firearm, drive motor vehicle during disqualification period and high-range PCA.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 7 April 2021).
He was later taken to the Mater Hospital for treatment, where he remains under police guard.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted on an outstanding warrant in the Hunter.
Jason Soars, aged 50, is wanted by virtue of an outstanding arrest warrant for an assault offence.
Officers attached to Port Stephens-Hunter Police District have commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, between 185cm to 195cm tall, with a medium build, brown hair and green/hazel eyes.
Anyone who may have seen Jason or may know of his whereabouts is urged not to approach him and to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
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 crime via NSW Police social media pages.