Category: Newcastle News

Detectives are appealing for community assistance to locate a man wanted on an outstanding warrant, who is believed to be in the Newcastle area.
Jake Clarke, aged 23, is wanted by virtue of an outstanding arrest warrant relating to a shooting earlier this year.
Investigators from Fairfield City Police Area Command attached to Strike Force Bellvue, continue to conduct extensive inquiries to locate the man.
He is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, of medium build with brown hair and brown eyes.
It is believed Mr Clarke may be frequenting Newcastle and its surrounding suburbs.
If sighted, the community are urged not to approach him and to call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Anyone who may have information that can assist investigators are urged to contact Fairfield Police Station on (02) 9728 8399 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
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.

A man has been charged over the alleged possession of child abuse material and drug offences following an investigation by Strike Force Trawler in the state’s Hunter Region.
In November 2019, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began investigating a man allegedly sharing and obtaining child exploitation material on a peer to peer network.
Following extensive investigations, a search warrant was executed at a home in the Hunter Region about 9am today (Friday 1 May 2020), where detectives seized a laptop, electronic storage devices and prohibited drugs.
About 10.30am, strike force detectives arrested a 34-year-old man at a nearby workplace.
The man was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station and charged with three counts of possessing or controlling child abuse material obtained or accessed using a carriage service, supply prohibited drug and two counts of possess prohibited drug.
He was refused bail and appeared before Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 1 May 2020), where he was granted conditional bail to appear before Muswellbrook Local Court on Monday 6 July 2020.
Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.
Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the CEIU; and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.

City of Newcastle is capitalising on autumn rain by planting hundreds of street trees across Newcastle as part of the Living Streets Program to expand the City’s urban forest.
Crews have been busy digging holes on street verges and reserves for around 500 trees – 40 different species – across Wallsend, Adamstown and Adamstown Heights (click here for the full list of streets)
Around 1,000 street trees will be planted this year as part of the City’s commitment to deliver cleaner air, reduced stormwater runoff, habitat for local biodiversity, more shade and a cooler urban environment.
^{Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Ward 4 Cr Jason Dunn planting a tree in Tyrrell Street, Wallsend.}
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, who joined City staff to plant trees along Tyrrell Street Wallsend today, said autumn offered the perfect weather for new plantings and that today’s work followed a council decision to join a global initiative aimed at enhancing nature in and around cities.
“While most community requests for tree plantings come during Summer when we are all feeling the need for more trees, Summer isn’t the ideal time to plant and establish trees,” Councillor Nelmes said.
“The weather conditions are more favourable at this time of year as it’s cooler and more rain is about.
“Under our Living Streets program and in line with the City’s Urban Forest Policy, we are committed to sustaining and expanding our urban canopy cover, as we know a five per cent increase can reduce summer temperatures by one to two degrees, and that 17 trees will offset the use of one car a year in terms of carbon emissions.
“We want to see more trees and nature in our cities, which is why earlier this week Council voted to accept an invitation to become a pioneer city of the CitiesWithNature initiative aimed at promoting the many benefits of bringing urban communities closer to nature. These include mental and physical health and wellbeing, better social connections, greater liveability, urban cooling and climate change adaptation.
“CWN is a unique partnership initiative founded by ICLEI or Local Governments for Sustainability that provides an online platform to connect cities and subnational governments, researchers and urban communities to share, learn from and inspire each other.”

Council’s City Greening Services team will complete regular maintenance of the new trees, among 6,000 recently planted across the local government area, carrying out mulching, weeding, watering and formative pruning.
The City is running a series of education activities in conjunction with tree planting, encouraging children during the COVID-19 lockdown to observe animals that visit their favourite tree and write a love letter to it.
Ward 4 Councillor Jason Dunn said kids were invited to submit a letter and photo of the tree to naturalconnection@ncc.nsw.gov.au to encourage conservatory thinking and see which trees are the most popular across the local government area.
“We want kids to take a moment to visit their favourite tree and stop, watch and listen and then write to us about how many different animals visit the tree, how long they think it’s been here and what could be lost if it was cut down Councillor Dunn said.
“As well as planting trees, we want to educate the next generation about how native and non-native trees support a huge amount of life in urban environments.”
^{A drawing submitted by Astrid, 7, from Wallsend, of her favourite trees.}

Police are investigating after an elderly woman was seriously injured at a Nelson Bay home overnight.
About 6.30pm yesterday (Wednesday 29 April 2020), emergency services were called to a home on Armidale Avenue, Nelson Bay, after reports a 71-year-old woman and a 74-year-old man were involved in a domestic-related altercation.
The woman was taken to Tomaree Hospital before she was transferred to John Hunter Hospital in a critical condition.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified in the early hours of today (Thursday 30 April 2020) and attended the home and established a crime scene.
Detectives have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
No arrests or charges have been made at this stage; a 74-year-old man is assisting police with their inquiries.
Anyone with information which may help investigators is urged to come forward.
 

A man will face court today after he was allegedly found with a commercial quantity of MDMA in Port Stephens.
About 1:30pm yesterday (Thursday 30 April 2020), officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Highway Patrol stopped a vehicle on Nelson Bay Road, Salt Ash.
The driver, a 24-year-old man, underwent a roadside drug test and allegedly returned a positive result.
Officers searched the vehicle and seized 430 grams of MDMA and just under $2000 cash.
The man was arrested and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station, where he was charged with supply commercial quantity of prohibited drug, and deal with proceeds of crime.
He was refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 1 May 2020).
 

A man will appear in court today charged with 21 child abuse offences following an investigation by Strike Force Trawler detectives into alleged online child exploitation in the state’s Hunter Region.
In September 2019, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crime Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from the state’s Hunter Region.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with the 37-year-old mother of a nine-year-old girl and engaged in sexually explicit conversations about acts he wished to perform on the child.
It will be further alleged that the man also believed he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl and engaged in conversations about sex acts he wished to perform on the teenager.
Following extensive investigations, strike force detectives arrested the 34-year-old man at a home in the Hunter Region just after 11am yesterday (Thursday 30 April 2020).
Shortly after the arrest, a search warrant was executed at the home, where detectives seized a mobile phone and electronic storage devices.
The man was taken to Muswellbrook Police Station and charged with 21 offences including;

• use carriage service to groom under 16 years for sex,
• use carriage service transmit/publish/promote child abuse (x19),
• possess child abuse material.

He has been refused bail to appear at Newcastle Local Court today (Friday 1 May 2020).
Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.
Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the CEIU; and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.
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 extreme cases of neglect.
Anyone with concerns about the suspected abuse or exploitation of children 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.
 

A pedestrian-friendly town centre in North Stockton and a drawcard coastal walk from Stockton to Tomaree Headland are part of an ambitious planning strategy adopted by Port Stephens and Newcastle councils.
The Fern Bay and North Stockton Strategy, which was guided by early engagement with the Fern Bay community and a workshop with Councillors from both Newcastle and Port Stephens, is a 20-year blueprint for the rapidly growing area between the Hunter River and Stockton Beach.
The strategy identifies North Stockton as the site of a future town centre and calls for new accommodation developments to support local tourism.
A neighbourhood centre to allow a smaller supermarket in the Fern Bay-Fullerton Cove area has also been included as a direct result of community consultation and will be facilitated by Port Stephens Council with a planning proposal.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the Fern Bay and North Stockton Strategy identifies opportunities to create a pedestrian-friendly town centre and mixed-use planning provisions that cater for diverse housing, connected open spaces and community amenities.
“Developed by both Newcastle and Port Stephens councils, the joint strategy is a fantastic outcome after a great deal of work and forms a strategic planning basis to follow along with landowners and the broader Stockton community,” Councillor Nelmes said.
“There are multiple large land holdings in the area that have potential to create positive outcomes for the community and we will work hand in hand with Port Stephens to plan for them in the years ahead.”
Port Stephens Mayor Ryan Palmer said the decision marked the beginning of an exciting time for the residents of Fern Bay and North Stockton.
“This is a great outcome for these communities,” Mayor Palmer said.
“The creation of more housing, access to better facilities and more transport options will ensure this town truly thrives.
“It’s been a wonderfully successful collaboration between our Port Stephens Council and City of Newcastle teams, and we’ll continue to work together on the best outcomes for the Fern Bay North Stockton communities into the future.”
The strategy also recommends a ferry terminal at North Stockton, duplication of Nelson Bay Road with traffic lights at the intersection of Vardon Road, as well as other upgrades to paths, bus stops and transport.
Also key to the strategy are:

• Attracting heritage and nature-based tourism including a coastal walk – featuring boardwalks and observation decks – from Tomaree Headland to Stockton
• Improving access to useable open spaces and well-designed community facilities
• Prioritising safe and convenient travel by walking, cycling and public transport
• Growing a resilient coastal community with access to liveable and diverse housing

Last November, planning staff from both councils attended the Fern Bay Fiesta at Fern Bay community hall to provide information on the strategy.
City of Newcastle and Port Stephens Council adopted the Fern Bay and North Stockton Strategy at their Council meetings in March and April 2020 respectively. The Strategy will now be implemented in a coordinated effort between both councils, to achieve positive outcomes for the Fern Bay and North Stockton community spanning LGA boundaries.

City of Newcastle is inviting Hunter residents to help shape the future of cycling in the city by taking part in an update of the 2012 Newcastle Cycling Strategy and Action Plan (NCSAP).
Anyone can have their say until 14 May by completing a cycling survey at www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/YourSay before the updated NCSAP goes on public exhibition for further feedback later in 2020.
“We want to hear from cyclists to find out what’s great about riding around Newcastle, what could be improved and how more locals might be encouraged to get out and enjoy the city under pedal power,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“We also want to hear from people who don’t ride, about what we could do to encourage them to start riding.
“We’ve delivered fantastic cycleway projects over recent years, such as the off-road path from Samdon Street, Hamilton, to Selma Street, Newcastle West; a shared path in Brickworks Park, Wallsend; and around Lambton Park to name just a few.  We know that the perception of lack of safety is a key barrier to more cycling so have also been trying to address several difficult crossings on cycle routes around the city.
“We are currently planning new routes for Hunter Street, Newcastle West, and from Merewether to the Junction as part of a perpetual program of development.
“We’re lucky to have a relatively flat city conducive to cycling, so we look forward to hearing from the community and updating our overarching strategy.”
The City is taking part in the phone-based Local Government Cycling Participation Survey in conjunction with the current engagement program to obtain additional data, particularly from non-cyclists.
In addition to infrastructure projects, much has been done to encourage greater participation in cycling by updating maps, running bicycle skills workshops and promoting gracious behaviour by path and road users.

City of Newcastle has awarded a contract for an advanced organics recycling facility as part of a 25-year commitment to revolutionise food and garden waste treatment.
The project at the Summerhill Waste Management Centre by Barpa Pty Ltd, in partnership with a company that has designed 120 composting facilities worldwide, will over 25 years:

• Divert about 900,000 tonnes of food and garden organics from landfill
• Slash greenhouse emissions by 900,000 tonnes, equal to eliminating 250,000 cars
• Save ratepayers $24 million in operational costs
• Reduce the section 88 levy paid to the NSW Government by $32.5 million

Onsite recycling of garden organics will begin at Summerhill in a fully enclosed facility in 2022 before food organics are added four years later, following comprehensive community consultation.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the project would generate major environmental and financial benefits for the city and community.
“With food and garden organics accounting for around 30 per cent of waste streams, we are embarking on the largest waste commitment ever made by the City: to divert almost a million tonnes of organic material from landfill,” the Lord Mayor said.
“When properly processed into compost, recycled organics can be sold as fertiliser that improves soil quality and productivity, displacing artificial chemical-based fertilisers on crops, sporting fields and in public and household gardens.
“Initially diverting around 20,000 tonnes of garden organics from landfill each year, the Summerhill facility will grow in capacity to process around 50,000 tonnes annually.
“It will see us begin processing all food organics material instead of continuing to landfill them at a prohibitive cost. After paying more than $230 million in waste levies over the past 12 years, the organics recycling facility will save ratepayers $32.5 million over the next 25 years.
“We intend to start processing food organics in 2026 following extensive planning and community engagement. In the meantime, work is continuing on the development of a program to roll out subsidised worm farms and community compost bins across the city.”
Barpa’s proposal for a fully enclosed recycling facility, which will be the first of its kind in the Hunter, was recommended in favour of three rival bids.
Elimination of odours through longer composting times and superior ventilation technology and systems, together with bid partnerWaste Treatment Technologies’ expertise in breaking down biodegradable material and converting waste to compliant, marketable compost, gave Barpa the edge.
The organics recycling facility will lower carbon emissions by ending the costly transfer of garden organics to the Upper Hunter in up to 45 return truck journeys of 173km a week.
Manager of the City’s Waste Services Troy Uren said higher regulatory standards loomed large over such traditional waste practices and that the project also stood to save ratepayers many millions of dollars more in deferred landfill expansion, in addition to $24 million in operational costs, over a quarter of a century.
“Garden organics are currently trucked from Summerhill to a Ravensworth site that can’t process food organics, and at significant cost to the ratepayer in what was only ever intended to be a temporary solution,” he said.
Background:

• While the $120 million operating costs of the facility amount to $26.5 million more than continuing to just recycle garden waste offsite at Ravensworth, $32.5 million will be saved from no longer paying a levy for food organics. This creates an overall saving of $6 million
• This $6 million saving grows to $24 million with projected compost sales of up to $18 million, with scope to divert more waste from neighbouring councils and other commercial sources
• Processing food organics will also defer the need to develop landfill ‘air space’ equal to 840 Olympic swimming pools, which would cost up to $18 million to excavate and prepare
• The City of Newcastle received a $1.5 million grant from the NSW Government in 2017 for early planning and is confident of sourcing additional grant funding from both the state and federal governments
• Even with construction costs, the organics recycling facility remains cheaper than landfill by more than $50 a tonne
• The contract with Barpa has been divided into two stages – design and approvals and construction and commissioning