Category: Newcastle News

The final section of the Newcastle Inner City Bypass – Rankin Park to Jesmond project has marked a significant milestone this week, with traffic switched on to the new alignment at the Jesmond roundabout.

From Tuesday 17 December, motorists will be switched from the Jesmond roundabout at Newcastle Road to a signalised intersection beneath the future bypass.

The traffic switch will form part of the final road alignment as part of the Rankin Park to Jesmond project, which will improve safety and traffic flow and reduce travel times.

The traffic switch will be carried out in stages to allow the community to experience these changes in smaller stages rather than one sweeping change. The changes will take place throughout December 2024 and then into January 2025.

Motorists should follow directional signage when moving through the new signalised intersection with various speed restrictions in place during the adjustment period.

This fifth section of the project is a key route connecting the western suburbs of Newcastle. It has a total project cost of $488.2 million with $390.56 million from the Albanese Labor Government and $97.64 million from the Minns Labor Government.

Once complete, the bypass will provide faster and more reliable journeys for motorists while improving safety on the surrounding road network with the number of crashes predicted to fall by about 30 per cent.

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon:

“This is an exciting day for Newcastle motorists and future visitors as we move closer to the completion of a project that will transform the way people travel to, from and around the region. 

“The switch from a roundabout to a signalised intersection at Jesmond will improve the safety and efficiency of this intersection, as well as significantly reduce travel times for the 40,000 to 60,000 motorists which use this route daily.

“I know Novocastrians will be so pleased to see this milestone reached and I look forward to the entire project being completed by the end of next year.

State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery:

“The Newcastle Inner City Bypass will provide traffic relief for the local community by removing up to 30,000 vehicles each day from the existing route of Lookout Road, Croudace Street and Newcastle Road.

“These roads are currently being used by about 40,000 to 60,000 vehicles each day so once complete, local motorists, commuters and the freight industry will experience safer and smoother journeys.”

Newcastle Art Gallery is extremely fortunate to be the custodian of one of the most significant art collections in Australia.  

But with this great honour comes great responsibility, especially when you’re creating a new home for more than 7,000 works of art valued at $126 million. 

Since the current building opened in 1977 our collection has grown by over 500 per cent, but until now, the Gallery’s physical space hasn’t grown with it.  

For the last two decades, City of Newcastle staff, Councillors and associated stakeholders, as well as countless art lovers from our community and beyond, have contributed their time, expertise, advocacy and financial support in securing the much-needed expansion of our Art Gallery. 

And during the past 12 months it’s been incredible to see the Gallery’s expanded footprint rise out of the ground, to see walls go up, the roof take shape and the shell of our new exhibition spaces form as we more than double our size. This will enable more of our incredible collection and much-loved icons to be on permanent display. 

But just as a house isn’t really a home until you put your own personal touch on it, so too will our finishing touches take time to transform our expanded building into the dynamic, engaging Art Gallery our community and city deserves. 

There are important considerations for getting the building ready, not just for our collection but for major touring exhibitions as well. 

The long-term presentation of works of art requires very specific international standard gallery environmental conditions.  

Gallery lighting as well as humidity and temperature control systems must be installed and tested to provide the optimum environment for the protection and preservation of our collection.  

Lighting also has to be tightly controlled – managing both natural and artificial light levels to ensure the preservation of works of art. 

We need to consider the necessary preparation of Gallery spaces. Freshly painted walls require time to ‘off-gas’ to prevent air quality risks to works of art. We then need to deep clean the Gallery to remove any remaining construction and atmospheric dust. 

All of this must be carefully considered and put into place – not just to protect our incredible collection – but to make sure that we fully meet international standards and art insurance cover requirements.    

Only once all of this is achieved can we bring our collection home. 

Think about the last time you moved house – the task of getting everything safely packed, into the truck, making sure items fit through the doors. Every work of art’s movement needs to be planned to the finest detail to ensure they are safely moved and appropriately secured for display. 

Multiply that by 7,000 works of art worth $126 million and you would have some idea of the logistical challenge and responsibility we’re managing. When received through our international standard loading dock, works of art must be checked, condition reported and registered in our new collection management system. 

Each work of art must also acclimatise inside the Gallery for at least 48 hours before installation can take place. 

While we’re busy planning the big tasks, we’re turning our attention to the finer details as well – the fixings, hanging systems, cabinetry, exhibition walls and display plinths.  

Some of our works of art such as our much-loved John Olsen ceiling The sea sun of 5 bells 1964 (the only one installed permanently as a ceiling in the world) and two new commissions will be suspended with custom-built, ceiling-mounted armatures. 

All of this is done with extreme attention to detail, care and expertise. 

When it comes to opening our doors, there is also a lot to plan and do so that we can create a wonderful experience for our visitors.  

Market research tells us that when visitors attend cultural institutions, they expect much more than simply seeing art on the walls.  

They want a more enriching, meaningful experience. They expect somewhere to take a break, enjoy a meal, and they want to be able to take a memento of their experience home with them – a catalogue or keepsake to remember their visit.  

The expanded Art Gallery will meet these new expectations, providing a welcoming place for our community to return again and again with their friends and families. It will be an unmissable highlight for visitors to the Hunter and a tourism destination for visitors from afar. 

To facilitate this, we are establishing and testing new IT systems, developing and sourcing bespoke, locally made retail merchandise, while planning our exhibition and events programming. 

We are developing wayfinding signage, designing and printing visitor guides, developing training programs for our dedicated volunteers and staff. 

The list may seem long, but we’re making great progress. 

It’s a historic time for our Gallery and we can’t wait to welcome our community back into the reimagined Newcastle Art Gallery next year as we deliver a once-in-a-generation project we can all be truly proud of.

Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM

Netball NSW is delighted to announce that 2024 has reached the largest number of participant registrations in the organisation’s near 100-year history.

In the past 12 months over 120,000 players, coaches and officials have registered to be part of one of the largest sporting movements not just in NSW, but nationwide.

With the 2024 Suncorp Super Netball competition becoming the most attended female domestic league in Australian sporting history, and grassroots participation at record levels, Netball NSW Chair Sallianne Faulkner said the sport was in a wonderful position.

“Numbers like these do not come about by accident, and I thank the entire netball ecosystem – from the community game to the elite – as well as our staff for all playing a huge role in these successes,” she said.

“We are so excited because these numbers mean that more people of all ages, genders, backgrounds and abilities are giving netball a go, and we want to give as many people as possible the chance to take part.

“We should take time to celebrate and champion our game when we reach new milestones. No sport in NSW has the community impact that netball does, especially for women and young girls.

“It is a staple of every metro and regional community across NSW, while at the elite level we have had numerous sellouts at Ken Rosewall Arena, especially when the NSW Swifts and GIANTS Netball do battle.

“With the Netball World Cup heading to Sydney in 2027 we have golden opportunity to further elevate netball’s position and we look forward to working closely with all commercial, government and community stakeholders continue this upward trajectory.”

Tim Fava, Netball NSW Executive General Manager – Community & Pathways, said many of the successes could be attributed to new ways of delivering the game.

“We saw growth across all categories this year, while our Spring Season has been a huge hit in bringing both teenagers and older participants back to the game,” he said.

“Associations and clubs are providing more social, flexible and fun playing experiences with options for mixed teams, juniors, seniors and men’s netball.

“While representative netball is still a key focus for us and many in our community, I would like to take a moment to really thank the Associations who have embraced new ways to deliver our game to cater for a much wider audience.

“The proof is in the pudding and these numbers are a testament to the hard work being done to foster a love of the game, and to keep communities fit and active.

“This number should not be our Everest and we are already looking at new ways to build on the success of 2024 to harness better health and wellbeing benefits for everyone in our netball family.”

Muswellbrook Shire Council has been fined $8,000 and issued with an official caution after a leak of ferric sulphate at its Muswellbrook Water Treatment Plant earlier this year in March.

Between 2500 and 3000 litres of the corrosive liquid, which is used as a coagulant, leaked from a hole in the ferric sulphate storage tank and spilled into a contained (bunded) area.

The NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) investigation found that a temporary pump was left on, following a regular floor cleaning of the bund. This resulted in ferric sulphate inadvertently pumping into an onsite evaporative pond that stores waste lime, a by-product of the drinking water process.

EPA Director Operations David Gathercole said the incident was a reminder to always ensure that equipment is operated in a proper and efficient manner.

“Fortunately, this was contained onsite and did not result in any actual harm to the environment or human health,” Mr Gathercole said.

“Any situation where equipment is not operated properly runs the risk of potentially serious environmental impacts.

“It is also particularly important when working with chemicals to ensure that all processes and safety precautions are followed to prevent any potential harm or pollution of waters, as has occurred in this incident.”

Muswellbrook Shire Council has now implemented onsite measures to prevent future incidents.

OneSchool Global Maitland teacher Andra Rensburg has remarkably seen one of her students top the state in the Higher School Certificate (HSC) Financial Services subject for a fifth straight year.

In the 2024 HSC, OneSchool Global student Rory Wallace followed in the footsteps of four prior OneSchool winners.

The 18-year-old from Orange in Central West NSW was able to pursue his passion for Financial Services through OneSchool Global’s innovative remote learning platform, which allows students to access courses delivered from the school’s campuses across the state.

Rory said he was pleased to receive the first-place award after seizing the opportunity to study Financial Services.

“At OneSchool Global, our teachers and the school community provide us with outstanding support to achieve,” Rory said.

“To come first in the State is really exciting, and I am thankful for the effort our teacher Mrs Rensburg puts into teaching this program. I am glad I could add to the list of OneSchool Global’s students who have achieved this result with Mrs Rensburg’s support.”

With five students consecutively placing first in the State in five years, Mrs Rensburg congratulated Rory on his achievement as well as the prior OSG State students who topped the state.

“Rory has worked really hard this year, and this result is reflective of his outstanding effort. Rory and the OneSchool students who have preceded him continue to prove that commitment and hard work are the foundations to achievement and success. I look forward to seeing Rory apply this in his undoubtedly bright future,” she said.

OneSchool Global Regional Principal Kath Merritt congratulated Andra, Rory and OneSchool Global’s prior state-topping students, saying that the results are a positive reflection of the school’s vision to develop life-ready students, who learn how to learn and achieve.

“OneSchool Global congratulates Andra and Rory on this outstanding achievement. Andra’s continued success with students in this subject is a strong demonstration of how our school’s learning framework and facilities support our students and teachers to thrive.”

OneSchool Global has 31 campuses across Australia in Queensland, NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and Western Australia.

OneSchool Global Australia provides innovative learning and teaching to more than 2,450 students with more than 340 staff.

For more information about OneSchool Global, go to https://www.oneschoolglobal.com/

The Draft Hunter Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP) has been released for public consultation and Transport for NSW is inviting feedback from the community to help shape the final plan, due for release in 2025. 

The Draft Hunter SRITP outlines a vision for transport in the region where all communities are well connected by high quality transport infrastructure and services, allowing people to walk, ride, catch public transport or use their private vehicle safely.

The Hunter region is changing, with significant population growth and increased freight movements within and through the region.

Early engagement activities have been carried out in recent months with local councils, Members of Parliament and key regional representative groups, together with community insights from more than 2000 visits to Transport’s Have Your Say platform.

Through this extensive consultation, analysis and investigation, Transport has identified more than 55 short and medium-term initiatives, which are now on public exhibition for broader community input. 

The Draft Hunter SRITP and related documents are available at www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/sritp/hunter with submissions invited until Friday 28 February 2025 via that page or by emailingengage.sritps@transport.nsw.gov.au. Pop-up events will also be scheduled in early 2025 for Transport representatives to talk with local communities.  

The Draft Hunter SRITP is one of nine Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plans (SRITPs) being developed to better reflect the transport needs of regional communities now and into the future. 

Expanding on previous transport plans, the SRITPs focus on delivering integrated short, medium and long-term solutions to help drive economic growth, improve connectivity, and enhance the quality of life for residents in the regions.

Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison:

“We’re listening to the community, stakeholders, and experts to create a transport network that meets the diverse and dynamic needs of the Hunter region, including its major cities and small villages, across all modes of transport.

“I urge all residents, businesses, community and industry groups to visit the website, take a look at the draft plan and share your feedback.

“A lot of work has gone into developing the draft and we want to make sure Transport for NSW gets it right when it comes to developing the final plan.

“Once all feedback is considered, the final plan will be prepared and released next year.

“The final plan will be accompanied by an implementation strategy to ensure we deliver better transport and road networks across the region and I am excited to see what the community feedback is and what the final plan looks like.”

Minister for the Hunter, Yasmin Catley:

“With more people moving to and visiting the Hunter, it’s critical we have quality and accessible public transport.

“It’s important this plan accounts for the Hunter’s diverse communities and everyone who lives there, which is why we’re consulting widely with community and experts.

“We want to better serve the people who live in this area and ensure they have access to more services and more places, across all days of the week.

“Our existing transport infrastructure network will be reimagined to support improved roads and public transport connections between homes, work, education, healthcare services and entertainment precincts so everyone can get where they need to be and make the most of our region.”

An 11-year-old girl reported missing from the Newcastle area has been found.

Newcastle City Police thank everyone for their assistance.

A multi-storey affordable housing apartment building will be developed on a key Hunter Street site as City of Newcastle moves forward with a landmark mixed-use project.

The strategically positioned site, known as Rail Bridge Row, sits as a junction between Hunter Street and the Foreshore. 

The project marks the closing of a chapter in Newcastle’s history with the parcel of land the final piece of the former heavy rail corridor to be redeveloped.

The development will also be the second affordable project on the old rail line following the construction of 30 units on Merewether Street in 2020 by Evolve Housing. 

Council voted on Tuesday night to invite expressions of interest (EOI) from community housing providers to work with City of Newcastle on the project, which will include multiple levels of units above a ground floor commercial / retail development.

The partnership would be the first of its kind in the Hunter and could pave the way for similar developments in the future at other City of Newcastle sites.

Chairperson of City of Newcastle’s Asset Advisory Committee, Cr Declan Clausen, said the project could help ease the affordable housing shortage now and into the future.

“A growing population, cost-of-living crisis and shortage of housing including dwellings affordable to those on lower incomes, is exacerbating the stress being felt in households across Newcastle,” Cr Clausen said.

“The Rail Bridge Row project is the first time Council has utilised its own land to help address the housing crisis. As an elected council, we are pulling every lever available to us to increase the supply of social and affordable housing in our city. 

“By partnering with a community housing provider to deliver this project, we are creating a framework that could potentially be replicated across other City of Newcastle sites.”

The EOI will be launched early next year to identify select applicants, who will then be asked to prepare a proposal for the project.

A business case will be presented for Council approval before the preferred community housing provider is engaged.

City of Newcastle recently completed detailed site investigations for the early works and approvals needed to support future development on the site.

The 4,125 sqm lot at 280 Hunter Street stretches from Brown Street to near the intersection of Darby and Hunter Street and is opposite the Crown Street light rail stop. It was purchased by City of Newcastle from Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation in 2020.

In addition to the mixed-use development, the site could also facilitate the delivery of an important east-west commuter cycleway connection, strengthening Newcastle’s cycling infrastructure while enhancing the sustainability and liveability of the city.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a teenage girl missing from the state’s Hunter Region.

Chloe Lawrence, aged 15, was last seen at Newcastle Interchange shortly after midnight today (Sunday 15 December 2024).

When she could not be located or contacted, officers attached Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and an investigation commenced into her whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Chloe’s welfare due to her age.

Chloe is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 150cm tall, of thin build, with shoulder length brown/red hair.

It is not know what she maybe wearing.

Chloe is known to frequent the Newcastle, Bolwarra, Maitland and East-Maitland areas.

Anyone with information into her whereabouts is urged to contact Raymond Terrace Police Station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a missing girl last seen in Newcastle today.

Penelope Lowa, aged 11, was last seen in Newcastle about 12am today (Sunday 15 December 2024).

When she could not be located or contacted, officers attached to Port Stephens/Hunter Police District were notified and commenced inquiries into her whereabouts.

Police and family hold serious concerns for her welfare due to her young age.

Penelope is described as being of Caucasian appearance, 160cm tall, of thin build, with shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes.

She is known to frequent the Maitland, Newcastle and East Maitland areas.

Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call Port Stephens Hunter Police or Crime Stoppers on 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 information via NSW Police social media pages.