Category: Newcastle News

Community members are invited to have their say on how to manage the city’s heritage assets and better recognise Newcastle’s Aboriginal history.
A rich portfolio of local conservation areas and buildings are noted for their character and heritage significance in The City of Newcastle Heritage Strategy.
An updated version, which is on public exhibition from today, places greater emphasis on Newcastle’s original inhabitants in guiding management of the city’s historical treasures over the next decade.
Highlighted are the Awabakal and Worimi people’s early encounters with European settlers and subsequent history of dispossession, as well as the reconciliatory 2016 recognition by the Geographical Names Board of eight places and landmarks with dual Aboriginal names.
“We are engaging with the local community and stakeholders to communicate our commitment to the protection, support and promotion of Newcastle’s heritage,” Councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said.
^{Left: Toby CEDAR Op Nor Beizam (Shark Mask) White 2018 bamboo cane, twine, raffia, pearl shell, acrylic paint, feather 80.0 x 56.0 x 31.0cm Les Renfrew Bequest 2019 Courtesy the artist. In 2019-2020, 20 of 37 works purchased for the Newcastle Art Gallery collection were by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artists. This work was one of those acquisitions.}
“Our city has a unique mix of heritage conservation areas, archaeological sites, heritage-listed buildings and places that are recognised and protected for their character and heritage significance.
“The Awabakal and Worimi peoples, descendants of the traditional owners of the land, have ties dating back tens of thousands of years, and this updated strategy better considers their ancient and ongoing connection as well as their hardships since settlement in an unvarnished history.
“This is important because Newcastle is home to one of Australia’s largest Aboriginal populations, a diverse community drawn from many language groups which identify with, foster and protect their distinctive cultures, beliefs and languages through connection to land and each other.
“The new strategy emphasises our rich Aboriginal and European heritage and the important role the City’s public exhibitions and performances play at our museum, art gallery, libraries and theatres, all of which celebrate our cultural heritage.”
^{Joseph LYCETT Inner view of Newcastle c1818 oil on canvas 59.8 x 90.0cm Purchased with assistance from the National Art Collections Fund, London UK 1961 Newcastle Art Gallery collection}.
The updated heritage strategy also builds on the Newcastle 2030 Community Strategic Plan (CSP).
“Through the CSP, the Newcastle community strongly expressed its wish for local heritage to be valued, enhanced and celebrated,” Councillor Winney-Baartz added.
“This heritage strategy allows Council to articulate a framework for achieving this vision, and to meet its statutory responsibilities.”
Community input will be considered when the draft Heritage Strategy 2020-2030 is finalised by Council later this year. Community members can review the draft strategy and have their say https://www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/Community/Get-Involved/On-Public-Exhibition from Monday 15 June to Monday 13 July.

City of Newcastle has opened its new Visitor Information Centre (VIC), offering hands-on interactive experiences, tourist information and unique souvenirs for those welcoming friends and family to the city.
Housed in the repurposed Civic Railway Station, the VIC is located in the heart of Newcastle’s emerging tourist hub, nearby the under-construction five-star Kingsley Hotel and a stone’s throw from the Civic Theatre, Civic Park, City Hall and Museum.
^{Deputy Lord Mayor Cr Declan Clausen and Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes inside the new Visitor Information Centre.}
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the VIC was opening just in time to welcome visitors back to the city following the lifting of many of the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
“The June long weekend saw many travellers take advantage of the relaxed restrictions in what was the first opportunity to hit the open road in months,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The establishment of the Visitor Information Centre is another very visible step in the maturity of our city as a tourist destination. Pre-COVID-19 figures showed about five million tourists visit Newcastle each year, which is a rise of about 60% over the past five years. The value of the Newcastle tourism economy increased 57.6% to $1.127 billion in the 12 months to March 2019 alone.
“And with two five-star hotels now under construction and Newcastle Airport offering seasonal flights to New Zealand, the number of visitors is set to surge even further. More than 1.2 million passengers passed through the airport in the 2018-19 financial year.”
City of Newcastle’s new Visitor Information Centre will play a vital role in boosting the local tourism industry, which has been decimated by COVID-19, as appetite for travel grows stronger, particularly with the July school holidays just around the corner.
“We have already received an influx of enquiries from interested travellers whom we can’t wait to welcome to our beautiful city.”
Following the site’s exterior renovation by Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation, City of Newcastle undertook a full fit-out of the new VIC, including a hand-painted mural, incorporating a Welcome to Country in both Awabakal and Worimi languages, and a map of Newcastle printed on the vinyl floor.
As with all City of Newcastle services and facilities reopening, public health is paramount, and there is a COVID Safe Plan in place for the VIC’s operation that, in conjunction with physical distancing and hand hygiene practices, will ensure everyone can enjoy this new community space.
The Visitor Information Centre is conveniently located at the Civic light rail stop at 430 Hunter Street and will initially operate from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday, and 10am to 2pm on Saturdays. Sunday operation will commence as demand increases and restrictions further ease. There are more than 300 parking spaces within a five-minute walk.

A man has been charged following an investigation into historic sexual assault offences in the Lake Macquarie region.
In January 2020, detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District established Strike Force Glenwarrie to investigate allegations of historic sexual and indecent assault offences against two juvenile boys in the 1990s.
Following extensive inquiries, detectives attended a facility at Silverwater and arrested a 62-year-old man about 11am today (Monday 15 June 2020).
He has since been charged with 15 offences including:

• Aggravated indecent assault – victim under the age of 16 years (x5)
• Commit act of indecency with person under 16 years
• Aggravated indecency – victim under 16 & under authority offender
• Aggravated sexual assault – victim under the age of 16 years (x5)
• Cause child under 14 to participate in child prostitution (x3)

Police will allege the man sexually and indecently assaulted two juvenile boys known to him on separate occasions in the 1990s at locations in Lake Macquarie and on the Mid North Coast.
The man was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court via AVL tomorrow (Tuesday 16 June 2020).
Investigations under Strike Force Glenwarrie are continuing.

Police are appealing for public assistance as investigations continue into an assault that occurred in the front yard of a home in Muswellbrook last night.
About 7.30pm (Saturday 13 June 2020), a 28-year-old man was standing in the front yard of a home on Tindale Street, when he was reportedly assaulted.
He suffered a fractured skull and lacerations to his face and arms. He was treated at the scene before being taken to John Hunter Hospital where he remains in a serious but stable condition.
A crime scene was established at the Tindale Street home as investigations continue by officers from Hunter Valley Police District.
At this stage, the circumstances as to how the man suffered his injuries are unclear. Detectives are now calling for anyone who may have witnessed the incident to come forward.

Police are appealing for information after a man was assaulted at a licensed premise in Newcastle yesterday.
About 7pm (Saturday 14 June 2020), a 31-year-old man was at a licensed premise on Darby Street, Cooks Hill, with a group of friends, when they were approached and spoken to by a group of unknown men.
Police have been told the man was slapped and punched in the face by one of the unknown men, causing him to fall and lose consciousness.
The other members of the groups were then involved in a fight before security intervened.
Emergency services were called, and the 31-year-old man was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital where he remains in a stable condition.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District attended and commenced an investigation.
Detectives would like to speak to two men who may be able to assist with their inquiries.
They are both described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 25-35 years old, of muscular build, average height, with neck tattoos. One was wearing a white t-shirt and the other was wearing a green short-sleeved shirt.
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Newcastle Police: 02 4929 0999 or Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000.

The future use for one of Newcastle’s oldest parks, Gregson Park, is set for further community consultation.
Situated in the heart of Hamilton, the 131-year-old park will be the subject of a masterplan process, including a community-wide engagement program that will help guide recreation opportunities and identify key uses for its future.
Starting Monday, the City will undertake a site analysis of the former Hamilton Bowling Club, investigating options for it to be converted into a temporary shade structure. Long term, through the development of the masterplan, this area will provide a space for re-adaptive use for community purposes.
Gregson Park gardens will be included in the park’s future consultation process
The masterplan will include design options and concepts captured during the initial consultation phase and will include community priorities for other facilities such as the playground, tennis courts, memorial, gardens and pathways, greenhouse and amenities block. Opportunities for further feedback will be available to the community once detailed plans are developed.
Newcastle Councillor Carol Duncan said she was thrilled to see an important parcel of our City’s past being recognised as an integral asset for the future.
“I’ve met with many Hamilton residents at Gregson Park and I’ve been heartened by their passionate calls for the City to reinvigorate this wonderful community asset that dates back to the late 1880s when it was gifted to the community by the then Hamilton Council,” Councillor Duncan said.
“Their ideas and input will be used as a catalyst to drive engagement on the park’s future, the importance of which stretches beyond Hamilton and across the City.
“We hope that by working together with the community, Gregson Park will remain a wonderful community asset for all of Newcastle for many decades to come.”
Chair of Hamilton Business Association Janice Musumeci welcomed the opportunity for the community to participate in developing a masterplan for the park.
“Gregson Park is an integral part of the Hamilton and wider city landscape. It is important that local businesses and the wider community have the opportunity to assist in creating a space that will meet our community’s needs now and into the future,” she said
The overall aim of the masterplan is to develop a flexible multi-use space that retains important botanical and heritage elements. This includes the park’s large fig trees and entrance gates that commemorate the first councillors of the historic Hamilton Council.
Other upgrades to be considered will be safety improvements – such as increased lighting – and better accessibly such as improved pedestrian and cycleway connectivity.
It is proposed that the masterplan process including community consultation and engagement will commence in the second half of 2020. The community will be informed of the consultation and engagement process and the City will be seeking input from all sections of the Hamilton community.

A man has been charged over the alleged use of an alias to gain financial advantage in the Lake Macquarie region.
In November 2019, detectives from Lake Macquarie Police District established Strike Force Corymbia to investigate alleged fraudulent offences committed by a 53-year-old man.
After extensive inquiries, police executed a search warrant at a home on Watson Street, Ellalong, about 15km south of Cessnock, where they arrested a 53-year-old man.
During the search, police located and seized a number of items including laptops and mobile phones.
He was taken to Cessnock Police Station and charged with dishonestly obtain financial advantage etc by deception, not specialist health practitioner take/use title as such and drive motor vehicle during disqualification period.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court later today (Friday 12 June 2020).
Police will allege the man used an alias and business to receive monies from clients and fraudulently obtained over $10,000.
Police will further allege the man promoted himself as a specialist doctor to clients.
Investigations under Strike Force Corymbia are ongoing. Anyone who may have information which could assist investigators is urged to come forward.

City of Newcastle’s proposal for mass-offshore sand nourishment and immediate minimal buried seawall extension works in the draft Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) has received broad support through public exhibition, with 162 community and 19 agency submissions in total.
The City completed the 28-day public exhibition period on Tuesday. Seventy four percent of submissions were supportive of the Stockton CMP.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the high number of submissions showed how important a positive outcome for Stockton Beach was to the community.
“The level of feedback on the draft Stockton CMP is appreciated given the community engagement occurred during COVID-19 restrictions,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Staff had to work around typical face-to-face engagement activities in order to ensure the community’s voice was heard in the review of the CMP.
“Within days of the draft Stockton CMP going on public exhibition, more than 2,000 information packs including a summary of the plan, frequently asked questions and a reply paid feedback form and envelope were sent to each property in Stockton to ensure everyone had a chance to have their say,” the Lord Mayor said.
“The City also presented comprehensive information on the draft CMP on its website, including an animation, videos featuring Stockton Community Liaison Group Members, and the full report, together attracting more than 3,000 visitors and 436 downloads of the report over the exhibition period.
“The response from the community has been truly impressive and widely supportive, including well-informed, constructive feedback on the draft CMP and its recommendations.
“Two thirds of the total feedback received was from Stockton residents, while other submissions were received from as far afield as North Narrabeen.
“Half of all submissions showed specific support for mass, offshore sand nourishment as the preferred option for beach amenity and coastal protection, while other key points included identifying other sand sources and options for fast tracking the process.”
Stockton Community Liaison Group (CLG) Chair Barbara Whitcher said the CLG was supportive of City of Newcastle’s management actions detailed in the CMP.
“City of Newcastle has worked closely with our CLG and delivered an outcome which we broadly support, being mass sand nourishment and minimal buried seawalls,” Ms Whitcher said.
“While we remain vitally interested in exploring in more detail the causal effect of Stockton’s erosion, and funding sources, we generally support the Stockton CMP.”
City of Newcastle’s CMP team will now review the community feedback as well as that from industry stakeholders, and finalise the document including a summary of the issues raised during the public exhibition period, for Council consideration on 23 June 2020. It will then be submitted to the NSW State Government for certification review.
Coastal Councils across NSW are developing CMP’s in line with the Coastal Management Act 2016 with a deadline of December 2021.

MEETING OF THE CITY TASKFORCE
The City Taskforce, a collaboration of 17 leading organisations and employers, chaired by Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes City of Newcastle, held its fourth 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 the first edition of The Newcastle Response, which highlights the challenges facing the community sector, as well as the forecasted impacts of the end of Government supplements, such as JobSeeker and JobKeeper, legislated to 27 September 2020. The Taskforce was also briefed on the Affected Industries Roundtable, facilitated by City of Newcastle on 4 June 2020, at which representatives from industries such as retail and hospitality, tourism, live music and arts and culture shared their experiences and local insights.
The Newcastle Response – Community Sector
City leaders endorsed the first Newcastle Response, forging their support as joint signatories to this powerful advocacy framework. The document presents case studies of the hardship and disadvantage Novocastrians have faced as a result of COVID-19, particularly vulnerable groups such as the elderly and temporary visa holders, with many turning to emergency relief services for the first time during the COVID-19 crisis. The community sector is bracing for further demand if Federal Government social security payments fall back to an inadequate level. The Newcastle Response calls upon State and Federal decision-makers, to whom it is addressed, to develop policy measures that support the financial sustainability of the community sector and establish dedicated engagement with First Nations and disability organisations.
In addition to The Newcastle Response being circulated to State and Federal decision-makers, Director Regional NSW, Ms Alison McGaffin, will act as a conduit between the City Taskforce and State Government Taskforces to facilitate discussions and form recommendations.
Future issues of The Newcastle Response will cover the tourism sector, affordable housing, arts sector, mental health and international student advocacy. An immediate need to support the containerisation work of the Port, and its subsequent impact on other sectors across the city, was also identified.
Affected Industries Roundtable
Among the industries that participated in City of Newcastle’s Affected Industries Roundtable, including retail and hospitality, hotels, live music, tourism, arts and culture, and Business Improvement Associations, there was a strong appetite to use the City Taskforce’s joint advocacy as a springboard for collaboration and policy action.
City leaders heard how these industries expressed concerns for what lay beyond September, when support measures end. For example, licensed venues, if still unable to operate at full capacity by then, anticipate a second jobs crisis, which would have a flow-on effect to local supply chains. With the retail and hospitality industry being a large employer of young people in the region, and the youth unemployment rate for Newcastle and Lake Macquarie climbing to 18.7% as a direct result of the pandemic, this has the potential to impact young workers at the start of their careers for years to come.
Industry Response Program
City leaders received an update on City of Newcastle’s Industry Response Program, which opened today. Expressions of interest are being sought from industry groups, businesses, community organisations and collaboratives for funding that will enable city-shaping outcomes that target the hardest-hit industries and population groups.
The University of Newcastle and the Hunter Business Chamber, both of which have representatives on the City Taskforce in Professor Alex Zelinsky and Mr Bob Hawes, have volunteered to sit on the Assessment Panel.
Infrastructure remains a priority
Infrastructure projects remain a key priority and focus of the Taskforce, not only in terms of job retention, but also job creation. Collective support exists for a large and diverse range of infrastructure projects across the City, as indicated in The Newcastle Response. This includes the Newcastle Airport expansion, complementing the recent announcement of a Special Activation Precinct at Williamtown; Newcastle Art Gallery expansion; as well as the containerisation of the Port of Newcastle to unlock trade and retail opportunities.

A woman who allegedly refused a police breath test has been charged after being arrested while attempting to pick up a young girl from a school in the Port Stephens area.
About 3.20pm yesterday (Wednesday 10 June 2020), a 60-year-old woman driving a Peugeot attended a school in the Port Stephens area to collect a nine-year-old girl who is known to her.
It’s alleged she hit bushes and small trees when parking, before exiting the vehicle to meet the girl.
School staff noticed the woman and attempted to stop her from driving away.
It’s further alleged she became aggressive and verbally abusive towards staff and police were called.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District attended and requested the woman undergo a breath test.
When she allegedly refused, the woman was arrested and while being placed in the police vehicle, she kicked out towards a male senior constable. He was not injured.
The woman was taken to Nelson Bay Police Station, where she refused to submit to a further breath analysis.
She was charged with harass/intimidate school staff member attending school, refuse or fail to submit to breath analysis and assault police.
The Nelson Bay woman was granted conditional bail to appear at Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 31 August 2020.