Category: Newcastle News

Two men have been charged after drugs and cash were seized in the state’s Hunter region.
About 10.30am yesterday (Tuesday 27 October 2020), officers attached to the Northern Region Enforcement Squad (RES) and Northern High-Visibility Team attended a home on Woodford Street in Minmi as part of ongoing inquiries.
Upon arrival, officers observed a 39-year-old man seated in a vehicle nearby, before he fled on foot.
A short foot pursuit ensued before the man was arrested.
Officers conducted a subsequent search of the man’s backpack and located an amount of methylamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, cash, buprenorphine and prescription medication.
A short time later, investigators located and arrested a 30-year-old man wanted on an outstanding warrant inside the Woodford Street home.
Both men were taken to Waratah Police Station, where the younger man was charged with an outstanding arrest warrant for a driving offence and 46 other unrelated drugs offences.
He was refused bail and appeared at Newcastle Local Court yesterday (Tuesday 27 October 2020), where he was formally bail refused to reappear at the same court on Wednesday 9 December 2020.
The older man was charged with three counts of supply prohibited drug, three counts of possess prohibited drug and one count of goods in custody.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 28 October 2020).

The City Taskforce, a collaboration of 17 leading organisations and employers, chaired by Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes of the City of Newcastle, held its eighth meeting today via Zoom. The Taskforce was formed to develop a collaborative approach to the City’s response to COVID-19, from crisis to recovery and beyond. City leaders focused their discussion on innovation-led economic recovery to ensure new jobs and growth for the region, which is at the centre of the latest Newcastle Response. The Taskforce heard case studies on tech scale-ups Portt and GreenBe, both of which are based in Newcastle, as well as Industry Response Program grant recipient Matt Field of Field Frequency, whose live music initiative Music People is supporting the recovery of the local arts and entertainment industry. Being the Taskforce’s penultimate meeting, members discussed the continuation of work streams through the City of Newcastle’s Strategy and Innovation Committee, chaired by Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen, following the final City Taskforce meeting on 4 December 2020.
COVID-19 case update – Hunter New England Local Health District
With further easing of restrictions this week, Hunter New England Health’s Executive Director Partnerships, Innovation and Research, Jane Gray, briefed the Taskforce on the latest COVID-19 case statistics for the region. To date, there have been 300 local cases since the pandemic began and four deaths. There are currently no cases in hospital or in Intensive Care Units within the Hunter New England Local Health District. Recent sewage testing has not detected any active virus being excreted. However, calls to the NSW Poisons Information Centre concerning hand sanitiser exposure incidents have increased 2.2-fold from January to June when compared with the same period in 2019.
Economic outlook and the impact on local jobs
Around 37,000 jobs have been lost since February across the Hunter Region, representing an 11% fall. However, the three-month moving average shows a marginal change in employment, with 378 jobs lost. Young people – in particular, the 25-34-year-old cohort – have felt these job losses most profoundly, with the Hunter’s youth unemployment rate rising to 20.7% in September. Across the country, about 500,000 people under the age of 35 lost their job in the early stages of the pandemic, with around 300,000 still out of work in September. Hospitality remains one of the worst affected industries, with a higher proportion of young people employed in this sector.
While the Federal Budget included extended JobKeeper arrangements until March and partly addressed disproportionate job losses to youth through JobMaker and support for apprentices, the efficacy of other measures to stimulate economic recovery, such as tax cuts, will not be known for some time, particularly with the increases in personal saving rates. The lowest-paid occupations have seen the greatest decline in employment, while employment in the highest-paid occupations has increased.
Pioneering innovation-led economic recovery
The innovation economy plays a critical and fundamental role in ensuring economic recovery and sustainable growth in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. City of Newcastle engaged widely with start-ups, scale-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the University of Newcastle to develop The Newcastle Response – Innovation Economy.
Taskforce members endorsed policy asks of the State and Federal Governments to invest in innovation-led economic activity, including:

• Co-funding the University of Newcastle’s new Regional Transformation Hub within the Hunter STEMM Precinct
• Supporting the development of a Newcastle Innovation Precinct that aligns with the strategic vision of the Sydney Innovation and Technology Precinct
• Prioritising smart infrastructure investment in Newcastle as a technology testbed and living laboratory
• Increasing tax concessions for investing in innovation to incentivise entrepreneurship and angel investment to fuel job creation.

Newcastle is Australia’s largest and most mature innovation ecosystem outside of a capital city, where industry, start-ups, local government and the education sector collaborate to validate innovative solutions to global problems.
Case studies: Portt and GreenBe
The Taskforce heard case studies on tech scale-ups Portt and GreenBe to illustrate some of the advantages and barriers to innovation in Newcastle.
Citizen engagement platform GreenBe designed the software layer for the City of Newcastle’s Lean in Newy app, which hosts one of the City’s COVID-19 response measures. Lean in Newy connects our community spirit to the places where it’s needed most and rewards participants with incentives at local businesses. Founded in Sydney, GreenBe also has a Newcastle office, which has not only retained all of its employees during the pandemic, but prioritises investment in and the upskilling of local talent to remain competitive with capital cities such as Sydney and Melbourne. CEO David Catalovski was supportive of putting Newcastle on the map as an innovation hub.
Portt is an intelligent strategic sourcing, contract and supplier management platform, with an office and a staff of 10 in Newcastle, as well as Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Co-CEO and Founder, Andre Pinkowski, outlined some of the resourcing and supply chain challenges that often came with operating from a regional centre, but backed the need to build on the momentum that existed in Newcastle. Portt is also embedding the Taskforce’s Greater Newcastle Youth Employment Charter objectives within its policies to prioritise skills development and early career opportunities for young people.
Industry Response Program update: Music People
Taskforce members received an update from one of the City of Newcastle’s Industry Response Program grant recipients, Matt Field of Field Frequency, whose live music initiative Music People received a share of a $500,000 funding pool. The fortnightly gigs, which showcase Newcastle’s diversity of musical talent, are live-streamed to a network of social media platforms to allow home-grown talent to be discovered. From 17 November, the shows will be open to a live audience at the Civic Theatre as well as online every other Tuesday night through to the end of summer.
Beyond 2020: The Strategy and Innovation Committee
With the final City Taskforce meeting to be held on 4 December 2020, the City of Newcastle’s Strategy and Innovation Committee, chaired by Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen, will continue the important work of the Taskforce’s work streams to guide the City’s COVID-19 recovery. Membership is open to all Taskforce members, several of which already sit on the committee.
The final City Taskforce meeting will also workshop the City of Newcastle’s forthcoming Economic Development Strategy, which will incorporate the work that has already been achieved by the Taskforce.
Find out more about the City Taskforce – Industry Representation.

Joshua McPherson has won the KILGOUR PRIZE 2020 People’s Choice Award for the second year running with a painting titled Portrait of Meg.
This year McPherson won – from a total pool of more than 1,600 votes collected since the KILGOUR PRIZE 2020 exhibition opened Saturday 1 August. McPherson has won $5,000 in recognition of the popularity of his work.
“When Meg arrived for the first session I was inspired by her youthful slightly “edgy, grunge” look contrasted with her beautiful Indian jewellery passed down from her mother,” artist Joshua McPherson said.
“I sought to capture a young woman of today but still respectful of her family tradition and heritage.”
Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton said McPherson excels in portraiture that provokes an emotive response in his viewers.
“McPherson’s skill as a painter is captured in the beautiful composition and vulnerable expression of his sitter,” she said.
McPherson has exhibited internationally in Italy, London and the United States. He has also been selected as a finalist in other national portrait prizes such as the Archibald Prize and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.
The Sydney-based artist will receive $5,000, generously funded by the bequest of artist Jack Noel Kilgour. The KILGOUR PRIZE 2020 exhibition will remain on display at the Gallery until 15 November 2020.
Anonymous comments collected during the voting process included:
“Of all the works, Portrait of Meg moves me the most. There is a simple complexity, a depth of emotion, a subtlety of light and shade, a beautifully softened sharpness. And those haunting eyes…they draw you in even as they withdraw into their own earnest, private contemplation.”
“It’s very evocative and insightful representation of the complexity of youth culture.”
“The subject is very relatable and reminds me of myself and every other teenage girl struggling with identity and self-awareness.”
“Culturally-diverse, beautifully composed, reflecting the promise and uncertainty of youth.”
Artist statement, Joshua McPherson:
I first met Meg when she modelled for my weekly portrait class.  My students and I immediately found her to be a breath of fresh air. Such a great attitude to life at a time when she was experiencing significant change and complexities in her life. I knew immediately I would like to have her pose privately for a portrait.
When Meg arrived for the first session I was inspired by her youthful slightly “edgy, grunge” look contrasted with her beautiful Indian jewellery passed down from her mother. I found the juxtaposition between her attire quite fascinating and intriguing.
I sought to capture a young woman of today but still respectful of her family tradition and heritage. This was Meg’s first time posing in a private studio and I feel that the portrait captures her initial slight coyness but a willingness to embrace herself in the portrait painting process.
KILGOUR PRIZE 2020 FINALISTS
An Sheng, Andrew Bennett, Anh Nguyen, Ben Ryan, Brittany Jones, Bronni Krieger, Corinna Howell, Craig Handley, Dagmar Cyrulla, Daniel Butterworth, Elizabeth Austin, Erik Krebs-Schade, Esther Erlich, Greg Creek, Jacqueline Hennessy, Jordan Richardson, Joshua McPherson, Kenneth Lambert, Kerry McInnis, Kylie Melinda Smith, Lileana Colarelli, Lori Pensini, Lynn Savery, Melissa Ritchie, Michael Bell, Oliver Shepherd, Peter Gardiner, Tony Costa, Tracy Dods, Wendy Sharpe.

Police are appealing for public assistance as they continue to investigate after a man was stabbed during a home invasion near Newcastle earlier this year.
About 10.30pm on Tuesday 15 July 2020, emergency services were called to a unit on Blue Gum Road, Jesmond, following reports a man had been stabbed.
Upon arrival, police located a 29-year-old man with multiple stab wounds before he was taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment. He has since been released.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District attended and commenced an investigation into the incident.
As investigations continue, detectives are hoping to speak to a man who may be able to assist with their inquiries.
He’s described as being of Caucasian appearance, between 170cm and 175cm tall, with a stocky build, wearing dark clothing and had his face covered.
It’s believed the man left in a vehicle, described only as a light coloured four-door sedan which was waiting nearby.
Anyone who may have seen or heard anything suspicious between 10pm and 11pm on Tuesday 15 July, or who may have nearby dashcam or CCTV footage is urged to contact Newcastle Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man wanted on outstanding warrants.
Paul Tighe, aged 34, is wanted on two outstanding warrants for assault and stealing offences.
Police from Newcastle City Police District have commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.
He is known to frequent Western Sydney, Newcastle, Bathurst and Port Macquarie.
He is described as being of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander in appearance, between 175cm to 180cm tall, with a thin build and a distinctive tattoo on his upper left arm.
It is believed he may be travelling in a white Subaru Outback with NSW registration ATA 42D.
Anyone with information about his whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.

Police are appealing for information after reports of a child approach in the Hunter region yesterday.
About 5.40pm (Thursday 23 October 2020), a seven-year-old boy was walking in Willow Close, Medowie, when a man riding an orange and black motorbike pulled up beside him.
Police have been told the male rider asked the boy to get on the bike. He refused and walked away. The man then conducted a U-turn and drove out of Willow Close in an unknown direction.
The incident was reported to officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District who commenced an investigation.
As inquiries continue, police would like to speak to a man who may be able to assist with their inquiries.
The man is only described as having greyish coloured hair and wearing a khaki-coloured back-pack.
Police are appealing to anyone who might have been in the Medowie area yesterday and either saw the motorbike or has dash-cam footage, to come forward.
Inquiries are continuing.

City of Newcastle’s confirmed 2019/20 financials show it delivered a record investment in capital works of $92.5 million while running the first deficit in seven years of $3.6 million due to the impacts of COVID-19.
The financial statements show the City remains in a strong financial position with net assets of $1.72 billion and total cash reserves of $353 million, including unrestricted reserves of $22.6 million.
The Audit Office of NSW’s assessment has shown the City outperformed in all audited financial key performance ratios for 2019/20 reflecting the high standards of governance of the City’s finances, including oversight by the independent Audit and Risk Committee.
Acting CEO Ken Liddell said the latest financial statements demonstrate City of Newcastle’s capacity to respond to rising service expectations and unforeseen events.
“The prudent financial management of City of Newcastle means we have weathered the impacts of COVID-19 well and are in a position to deliver a stimulus budget for 2020/21 from existing reserves, without borrowing money.
“Because of our robust financial position, City of Newcastle was able to respond quickly to the social and economic disruption of COVID-19 including a $5 million community and economic resilience package and additional community infrastructure investment to support 700 local jobs.
“The total financial impact of COVID-19 reduced City of Newcastle’s operating position for 2019/20 by $9.9 million, including a reduction in user charges of $5 million, interest revenue of $2.9 million and additional expenditure of $2 million.
“Despite this impact, the City delivered a net operating deficit of just $3.6 million, less than the forecast deficit predicted in March of $8.3 million.
“The fact City of Newcastle has produced net operating surpluses for the last six financial years reflects a positive pattern of financial performance and a commitment to long-term financial sustainability.
“The Audit Office’s assessment of City of Newcastle’s financial statement shows a clean bill of health across all performance ratios which is further evidence of the City’s strong financial management.
“When it comes to major economic downturns through global crises such as COVID-19, governments at all levels have a responsibility to accelerate investment to both keep people employed and uplift economic activity.
“We have continued to deliver high-quality services and projects in a financially responsible way.”
The City of Newcastle delivered a record investment in works across the Local Government Area in 2019/20, including:

• $16.6 million on waste management, incorporating the expansion of Cell 9 at the Summerhill Waste Management Centre
• $14.1 million on infrastructure and property investment including the newly opened Local Emergency Operations Centre
• $9.9 million on renewal and maintenance of the City’s roads
• $7.8 million on renewal and maintenance of the City’s stormwater network
• $7.6 million for fleet renewal
• $6.5 million on IT modernisation
• $5 million on Smart City initiatives including the city’s large-scale solar farm
• $3.7 million for City Hall façade upgrades and the new Visitor Information Centre
• $3.5 million on parks, facilities and open space including the playground replacement program
• $2.4 million on Libraries including the new Digital Library.

Meanwhile, City of Newcastle is bringing its method of calculating infrastructure in need of renewal in line with best practice to ensure ratepayers’ money is spent where it is needed most.
All NSW councils are required to estimate the total cost of bringing existing assets up to a satisfactory standard, however the methods for calculating this cost vary and the results are not audited by the Audit Office of NSW unlike other financial key performance ratios.
The condition of the City’s roads, stormwater drainage, footpaths, bridges, buildings and recreational assets are measured against an Office of Local Government (OLG) five-point scale, which rates infrastructure condition from excellent, to very poor.
Following a change to the Local Government Code of Accounting Practice, City of Newcastle now considers assets rated 3 out of 5 on the OLG key to be satisfactory and therefore these assets are no longer included as infrastructure in need of renewal, also known as a ‘backlog’.
City of Newcastle Interim Chief Financial Officer Scott Moore said other leading NSW councils, including City of Sydney, factor in assets rated in poor and very poor condition when calculating their ratio whereas City of Newcastle previously also included assets rated as satisfactory.
“Allocating personnel and expenditure to renew infrastructure in satisfactory condition takes away from City of Newcastle’s ability to deliver a works program that meets the community’s needs,” Mr Moore said.
“Infrastructure rated as satisfactory is fit for purpose and therefore does not need replacing.
“By using this best practice model, we are freeing up funds to be used where they deliver the best value for our community, including key renewal projects such as the Newcastle Ocean Baths.
“Our infrastructure in need of renewal is calculated at only $37 million using this best practice OLG method, which is much more accurate than the $126 million recorded last year as it also including $101 million related to assets rated as satisfactory.

A police officer has been charged over alleged off-duty assaults in the state’s Hunter Region.
In February, an investigation commenced after a physical altercation between neighbours was reported, which involved an off-duty male police officer.
Their inquiries also uncovered another physical altercation between the off-duty officer and the neighbour’s son, which occurred in December 2019.
Following extensive investigations, the 39-year-old detective senior constable – who is attached to Northern Region – was served a Future Court Attendance Notice yesterday (Tuesday 20 October 2020), for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.
He is due to appear at Toronto Local Court on Tuesday 1 December 2020.
His employment status is currently under review.

Detectives have charged two men over the alleged sexual assaults of two teenage girls in the Hunter region earlier this month.
Detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad commenced an investigation following reports two girls, aged 14 and 17, had been physically and sexually assaulted by two unknown men at Glendale on Friday 2 October 2020.
Investigators were told the girls were walking along Frederick Street with two other friends when they were approached by the men, who made threats toward the group before allegedly sexually touching the girls and then allegedly sexually assaulting them.
The girl’s friends went to get help before the 17-year-old girl was able to run to a nearby shop and returned with staff members who assisted the younger girl.
Emergency services were contacted, and the men fled the scene.
Following extensive inquiries, detectives executed two search warrants at homes at Argenton and Williamtown about 6am yesterday (Tuesday 20 October 2020).
During the searches, police seized a number of items relevant to the investigation, as well as cannabis and a cannabis plant, which was located at the Williamtown property.
Two men – aged 19 and 24 – were arrested and taken to Newcastle Police Station.
The 24-year-old Williamtown man was charged with sexual intercourse without consent, aggravated sex assault-victim under the age of 16 years, aggravated sexual intercourse child aged 14-16 years, assault child aged 14-16 with intent to commit sexual offence, intentionally sexually touch child aged 10-16, aggravated intentionally do sexual act with child aged 10-16, two counts of incite another to sexually touch them without consent, cultivate prohibited plant and possess prohibited drug.
The 19-year-old Argenton man was charged with aggravated sex assault-victim under the age of 16 years, assault child aged 14-16 with intent to commit sexual offence, and three counts of intentionally sexually touch child aged 10-16.
Both men were refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Wednesday 21 October 2020).

A woman has been airlifted to hospital after a serious crash at Lake Macquarie this morning.
About 6.15am (Wednesday 21 October 2020), emergency services were called to the M1 at Morisset, following reports a Toyota Hi-Ace van had left the roadway and crashed.
Police were told the Toyota and a Kenworth B-double prime mover were both travelling north when the truck has attempted to change lanes. The Toyota attempted to take evasive action and has lost control causing the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll.
The Toyota driver, a 36-year-old woman, was trapped for a short time before being released by Fire and Rescue NSW.
She was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being airlifted to John Hunter Hospital where she underwent surgery for a fractured arm and head injuries.
The truck driver, a 34-year-old man, was uninjured.
Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District attended and commenced inquiries into the cause of the crash.
Police are urging anyone who may have dashcam footage of the incident to contact Crime Stoppers.