Category: Newcastle News

A teenager has been charged over an alleged armed robbery in the Hunter region last month.
About 9pm on Monday 16 November 2020, a teen entered a fast food restaurant on Kelly Street, Scone, and allegedly threatened a 19-year-old man with a knife, demanding cash.
The staff member complied, and the teen then fled on foot with an amount of cash.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District attended a short time later and established a crime scene.
The two staff members present at the time were not injured.
Following inquiries and an appeal for public information, a 16-year-old boy was arrested at a home in Scone about 9:40am today (Sunday 27 December 2020).
The teen was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station and charged with robbery armed with offensive weapon.
He was refused bail and will face a children’s court tomorrow (Monday 28 December 2020).

A woman will appear in court in February next year after crashing her car into another vehicle while allegedly intoxicated earlier yesterday.
Police will allege that, about 7:40am (Saturday 26 December 2020), a 40-year-old woman was driving her Mazda CX-5 out of a carpark onto Tomas Cooke Drive, Thornton, when she collided with a Toyota Hilux driving south along Tomas Cooke Drive.
The Toyota Hilux rolled onto its side. The 50-year-old male driver was not injured.
Emergency services were called and officers from Port Stephens – Hunter Police District attended and commenced an investigation.
The woman was breath tested and provided a positive result. She was arrested and taken to Maitland Police Station where she submitted an alleged breath analysis reading of 0.189 – in the high-range category.
She was charged with high range PCA, and her licence was suspended.
She is due to appear in Maitland Local Court on Wednesday 3 February 2021.

A man will appear in court following investigations into a brawl at a hotel in Branxton at the weekend.
During the evening of Saturday 19 December 2020, several members of the Finks Outlaw Motorcycle Gang attended a hotel in Branxton.
It will be alleged in court that, while inside the hotel two men, one aged 28, approached two patrons and assaulted them.
Other patrons in the venue came to their aid and separated the group; they all left the location – including the victims – prior to the arrival of officers from Hunter Valley Police District.
About 10am today (Thursday 24 December 2020), investigators attended a home on Wollombi Road, Bellbird Heights, where they arrested the 28-year-old man.
He was taken to Hunter Valley Police Station and charged with affray.
The man was granted conditional bail and will appear in Cessnock Local Court on Wednesday 20 January 2021.
As inquiries continue, with the assistance of Strike Force Raptor, officers are seeking information from anyone who may have been at the hotel in the evening of Saturday 19 December 2020.

A report in today’s Newcastle Herald incorrectly claims that the architecture firm that in 2017 developed widely criticised concept designs for the Newcastle Ocean Baths pavilions has been awarded the contract for work to the pools and surrounds.
As stated in a City of Newcastle media release issued earlier this week, it has awarded a contract to GHD Pty Ltd for work to the pools and surrounds. The contract does not include work to the pavilions, which is a later stage and to be resolved in consultation.
Yesterday online and today in print, the Newcastle Herald incorrectly claimed that GHD Pty Ltd was responsible for the drawings of a “boxy new modern pavilion”. The Herald included one of these drawings in its online and print editions.
As raised with the Herald yesterday, a controversial design of the pavilion which the Lord Mayor and Council ruled out progressing more than 12 months ago, were done by GHD Woodhead. This is a different company to GHD Pty Ltd. Not only do they have a different name, but they also have a different ABN, different staff and a different Board of Directors.
Had the Newcastle Herald approached City of Newcastle for comment, or GHD Pty Ltd, this unfortunate error would have been detected. As is sometimes the case, the Herald chose not to seek comment from City of Newcastle before publishing the inaccurate story.
The Herald story has generated a significant amount of concern among the Newcastle Ocean Baths community, and has been shared online by a number of prominent people with large followings. All of this community angst could have been avoided had the Newcastle Herald fact checked their story.
City of Newcastle has on multiple occasions over the past 12 months been forced to correct factually incorrect and sensationalised reports from the Newcastle Herald regarding the Newcastle Oceans Baths. These ‘stories’ are usually accompanied by photos of the 2017 concept designs, despite City of Newcastle and the elected Council confirming several times these designs are not proceeding.
The only development occurring at the Newcastle Ocean Baths at this point in time is to upgrade the pools and their surrounds. The contract awarded to GHD Pty Ltd for the development of concept designs of the pools and surrounds has occurred following extensive community engagement.
We again reiterate that any redevelopment of the pavilions will occur in consultation with the community, including the Community Reference Group, which City of Newcastle established earlier this year.
City of Newcastle looks forward to the new year and a new approach from the Newcastle Herald to reporting on matters relating to the restoration of the Newcastle Ocean Baths.

A man will face court today after allegedly stealing a high-performance vehicle and driving in a dangerous manner throughout Newcastle.
About 2.45pm on Sunday (20 December 2020), an Audi R8 was stolen from a home on Scenic Drive, Merewether.
Police will allege in court that the driver – a 49-year-old man – committed several driving offences throughout Newcastle after stealing the Audi including, but not limited to:

• Crossing double white lines to overtake vehicles
• Driving on the wrong side of the road
• Speeding at approximately 160km/hr in a sign-posted 60km/hr zone

Following extensive inquiries by Newcastle City and Lake Macquarie Police District officers, police attended a home on Nooroo Close, Windale, and arrested a 49-year-old man just before 9pm yesterday (Wednesday 23 December 2020).
He was taken to Belmont Police Station and charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, drive whilst unlicensed and break and enter house steal value more than $60,000.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Thursday 24 December 2020).
Newcastle City PD Commander, Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey APM, said the manner of driving in these alleged offences is horrendous and is one of the worst examples of dangerous driving he’s seen.
“It so happens that the vehicle we will allege the 49-year-old stole from the Merewether home had a dash cam which automatically turned on as it left the property.
“It is dangerous driving at an extreme level – speeding through residential areas and stop signs, over pedestrian crossings, travelling in excess of 160 km/hr in built up areas, overtaking other motorists across double unbroken lines, and crossing to the wrong side of the road.
“This manner of driving puts dozens of lives at risk.
“Double demerits are in force until Sunday 3 January 2021, and we are continuing to plead with all motorists to pay attention to your surroundings, don’t drink and drive, don’t speed and don’t have any distractions around you while behind the wheel,” Det Supt Humphrey said.
The state-wide Christmas and New Year road-safety operation started at midnight (12.01am today Thursday 24 December 2020) and concludes 11.59pm on Sunday 3 January 2021.
Double-demerit points are in force throughout for speeding, seatbelt, mobile phone and motorcycle helmet offences.
NSW Police officers will also be targeting other high-risk driver behaviour, including the Four Ds; drink, drug, dangerous and distracted driving.

Police have released a new image as they renew their appeal for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Hunter Region earlier this month.
Vainenooroa Tuaratini (known as ‘Scotty’), aged 25, was last seen on Bridge Street, Muswellbrook, about 3am on Saturday 9 December 2020.
Officers from the Hunter Valley Police District were notified of his disappearance later that morning and along with his family have concerns for his welfare due to a medical condition.
Vainenooroa is described as being of Pacific Islander appearance, about 175cm tall, of solid build, with brown eyes and short black hair.
It has since been established that Vainenooroa got off a train at Redfern about 5.45am the same day. In CCTV footage, he is depicted wearing a green t-shirt and camouflage shorts.
He resides in the Belmore area and frequents Lakemba.
As inquiries continue, anyone with information into his whereabouts is urged to contact Muswellbrook Police Station or Triple Zero (000).

With the summer holiday period fast approaching, Newcastle Libraries has your holiday reading material sorted, with an exhilarating summer reads program, offering something for everyone from podcasts, events and conversations.
Running until February 2021, Your Summer Stories encompasses a children’s summer reading challenge, with activities and grand prizes, plus, an adult (including young adult) summer reads program, featuring a curated selection of seven must read titles by award winning Australian authors:

• The Cartographer’s Daughter by Tea Cooper
• All our shimmering skies by Trent Dalton
• Sorrow and bliss by Meg Mason
• When She Was Good by Michael Robothom
• The Tolstoy Estate by Steven Conte
• Bluebird by Malcolm Knox
• Honeybee by Craig Silvey

You can borrow or reserve your copy from any Newcastle Libraries branch, the eLibrary, or get your Grab and Go copy at the Digital Library 12 Stewart Avenue, Newcastle West.
Head over to the Newcastle Libraries ‘Real’ podcast channel to listen to our conversational podcast series hosted by Dan Cox from 1233 ABC Newcastle, exploring the themes of resilience, change and love, featuring award-winning Australian authors. Your Summer Stories podcast episodes will be dropping regularly until late January 2021.
Your Summer Stories also Rewards Your Reading and the easiest way to get involved is by registering and using City’s new online reading and activity tracker, Beanstack or by downloading the Beanstack app for Apple or Android.
Once you have registered yourself and your family members with Beanstack, join the Your Summer Stories challenges for adults or the Your Summer Stories – Rewarding your Reading challenge for kids up to 14 years of age. When you have completed a book or an activity, log this in the challenge and see what rewards you release!
Your reading also gets rewarded in the Lean in Newy app. Download now to find out how!
By participating in our reading challenge via Beanstack – kids go in the draw to win one of three Kobo Claras or one of eight $50 vouchers from Maclean’s Booksellers.
For more information on Your Summer Stories, visit
Share your summer story on social media with #YourSummer @NewcastleLibrariesAU

Concept designs for Stage 1 of the Newcastle Ocean Baths upgrade will soon get underway, with GHD named as the principal design consultant.
The Baths upgrade is a staged project that will begin with the restoration of the pool and its promenades, while consultation and assessments continue for the upper concourse and pavilion.
City of Newcastle will fully fund the renewal of the Baths, with the $9.5 million proceeds from the sale of three City of Newcastle-owned buildings including the Frederick Ash Building, directed towards the project, while any additional funds will come from City of Newcastle.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Stage 1 design contract had been awarded to GHD following an official tender process, with the firm set to complete final site investigations before developing initial options and concept designs for the pools and promenade for community feedback.
“Engagement with the Newcastle Ocean Baths Community Reference Group and broader public is an important aspect of revitalising this iconic community asset,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Our discussions to date have provided an insight into what the community values most about the pools, such as retaining the iconic boardwalk and improving accessibility.
“This feedback will help inform the upcoming design process, with initial concepts to be provided to the Newcastle Ocean Baths community reference group for feedback.
“This will be followed by a detailed design process, which is expected to be completed by April 2021, with construction works scheduled to begin in the new financial year following further community consultation.”
Stage 2 of the project will address the renewal of the pavilions and surrounding upper level public domain space. A multi-criteria needs analysis will be undertaken on the site to guide conversations with the community and ensure the upgrade meets the needs of future generations.
“Newcastle Ocean Baths is treasured by our community, which is why we are moving ahead with the upgrades to the pools while continuing conversations with the community to ensure they have input into the improvements to the iconic pavilions,” Cr Nelmes said.
“Prioritising a refurbishment of the pools and their surrounds will allow us to improve the site’s safety and accessibility while ensuring adequate time to work with the community on a plan for the pavilion that respects the heritage and integrity of the site.”

Detectives are appealing for information as part of an investigation into the alleged sexual assault of a young girl near Port Stephens almost two years ago.
Earlier this month, detectives from the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports a young girl had been sexually assaulted by an unknown man at Nelson Bay last year.
Investigators have been told the girl – then aged 11 – was at Dutchmans Beach Reserve when she was approached by an unknown man, before being taken to nearby bushes and sexually assaulted.
The incident is believed to have occurred between 11am to late afternoon on Sunday 27 January 2019.
The man has been described as being aged in his 60s or 70s, with an olive complexion, grey hair below his ears and a moustache.
He is believed to have been wearing a black t-shirt.
As investigations continue, detectives are appealing for public information – including any photographs, video recordings or dashcam footage – from Dutchmans Beach Reserve on Sunday 27 January 2019.
Anyone who has information about the incident is urged to come forward immediately.
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 serious 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.