Category: Newcastle News

Police are appealing for public assistance to establish the movements of Danielle Easey, whose body was found in a creek near Newcastle at the weekend.
About 10.30am on Saturday (31 August 2019), police were called to Cockle Creek, near Wakefield Road, Killingworth, after members of the public saw an item wrapped in plastic floating in the water.
The plastic, containing a woman’s body, was removed from the water by officers.
The woman has since been formally identified as 29-year-old, Danielle Easey.
Ms Easey lived in Booragul with family, but more recently she was staying at multiple locations around the area.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and Lake Macquarie Police District have established Strike Force Furzer to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.
The Homicide Squad’s Detective Chief Inspector Grant Taylor said investigators are appealing for assistance from the community to establish Ms Easey’s movements in the weeks leading up to her death.
“We know that Danielle was staying at different locations over the last three weeks and we are keen to establish where those locations were and speak to who she stayed with during that time,” Det Ch Insp Taylor said.
“Of particular interest to us is any sightings or contact with Danielle since early to mid-August, and we are appealing for those people to contact us as soon as possible.
“Our investigations have revealed Danielle had been associating with people involved in drug-related activities over the last few weeks.
“Detectives have been liaising with her family, who last had contact with Danielle several weeks ago.”
It is unknown when Danielle’s body was dumped in the creek.
“We are keen to speak to any motorists with dash cam vision who may have been driving in the area of Wakefield Road over the past three weeks,” Det Ch Insp Taylor.

Police will address the media to appeal for public assistance after a woman’s body was found in a creek near Newcastle at the weekend.
About 10.30am on Saturday (31 August 2019), police were called to Cockle Creek, near Wakefield Road, Killingworth, after members of the public saw an item wrapped in plastic floating in the water.
The plastic, containing a woman’s body, was removed from the water.
The woman has since been formally identified as 29-year-old, Danielle Easey.
Ms Easey lived in Booragul with family, but more recently she was staying at multiple locations around the area.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad and Lake Macquarie Police District have established Strike Force Furzer to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death and are appealing for public assistance to establish her last movements.
 

Police are appealing for information after firearms and ammunition were stolen from a rural property in the Hunter Valley overnight.
Between 11pm on Friday 30 August 2019 and 8.30am on Saturday 31 August 2019, it is alleged seven registered firearms and 500 rounds of ammunition were stolen from a gun safe inside a shipping container located on a rural property on Bell Road, Lower Belford.
Detectives attached to Hunter Valley Police District were notified of the theft today (Saturday 31 August 2019) and commenced enquiries.
The stolen firearms include: a Remington 223 calibre, a Winchester lever 22 calibre, a Marlin 3333, a Remington 222 calibre, a Rossi double barrel shotgun, a Gamo 177 air rifle and a Pardus 12 gauge shotgun.
Anyone who has been offered these firearms for sale, or is aware of them being advertised, needs to contact police or Crime Stoppers.
Investigations are ongoing.

Police are investigating following the discovery of a body by members of the public in a creek near Newcastle yesterday.
Police were called to Cockle Creek, near Wakefield Road at Killingworth about 10.30am (Saturday 31 August 2019), after members of the public reportedly saw an item wrapped in plastic floating in the water while driving past.
Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District attended and removed the item from the water.
The item, believed to be a body, will be subject to forensic examination by specialist police.
A crime scene was established at the creek and emergency services remain at the scene.
Strike Force Furzer has been established as officers from Lake Macquarie Police District and the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery.
No further information is currently available.

Police are appealing for the public’s help following a ram raid in the state’s Hunter region this morning.
About 4.10am (Saturday 31 August 2019), a manager attended a general store on Wollombi Road, Broke, after a security alarm was activated, and saw that the glass front doors had been smashed.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District were notified who attended and commenced inquiries.
A small amount of cigarettes and lighters were allegedly stolen.
Anyone who may have been driving through the area at the time and have captured dashcam footage is urged to come forward.

A bronze statue paying homage to Australia’s first female Lord Mayor will take pride of place in front of the former Civic Station in the heart of Newcastle as part of ongoing revitalisation works.
The late Joy Cummings OAM will become one of the only women in NSW to be immortalised in bronze, and the first person in Newcastle to be bestowed the honour.

The statue is currently being developed by Mudgee sculptor Margot Stephens, who was selected by the City of Newcastle following a call to the artistic community to design a statue of the former Lord Mayor.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the statue was a fitting piece of public art for Newcastle’s civic heart.
“I’m proud to announce that City of Newcastle will immortalise the progressive and transformational leader Joy Cummings OAM through the city’s first true-to-scale, bronze statue,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Joy was a trailblazer for women in leadership and inspired Novocastrians through her community spirit and love for our great city and our people.
“It’s fitting that Joy’s pioneering legacy will be able to be showcased in such an amazing and enduring way.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, daughter Margaret Badger echoed the Lord Mayor’s sentiments and said if Joy were alive today, she’d be proud of the City that Newcastle has become.
“I think she’ll enjoy looking over what’s happening throughout the City,” Margaret said.
“This statue captures everything about her, her smile, the determined line between her brows, her outward reaching hand and the other hand close to her heart. It’s very symbolic of all that she was, an outward looking, proud, caring person.
“We’ll always be proud of mum’s achievements. It’s easy to forget today that Newcastle was a heavy industry town, a BHP town. We had the state dockyard and abattoirs, we were quite an industrious place, but mum still had a passion for greening projects and parks.
“She was also very big on heritage, liked the concept of light rail, and would be very supportive of any activity that brought people to live and work in the City.”
She also said Joy would have been proud to be looking back over to the Civic Theatre, which she helped save for live performances.
Margot Stephens said she was honoured to be selected to create the sculpture.
“Being selected to create the final piece has been an incredible privilege,” she said. “To work on the portrait of such an intelligent, courageous and determined woman has been inspirational.”
The latest tribute to Joy Cummings will be delivered to the forecourt of the new ‘Museum Place’ by the end of the year.
Joy served as Lord Mayor between 1974 and 1984 and was aged 79 when she died in July 2003.

A man has been charged with multiple sexual assault offences following a five-month investigation.
In March 2019, detectives from Newcastle City Police District commenced an investigation following reports of alleged sexual and indecent assaults occurring between 2008 and 2014.
Following extensive inquiries, on Tuesday 27 August 2019 a 32-year-old man was arrested on Darby Street, Cooks Hill and taken to Newcastle Police Station.
He was charged with 10 offences, including:
· Indecent assault (x2)
· Incite person 16 years and over to commit indecent act
· Aggravated sexual assault (x4)
· Common assault (x3)
He was refused bail to face Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday 28 August 2019, where he was refused bail again to face the same court on Thursday 24 October 2019.
Investigations are continuing.
 

Under the NSW Local Government Act 1993, the City of Newcastle is required to review the distribution of voters across its Local Government Area Wards, and residents are now invited to have their say on proposed changes prior to next year’s Council elections.
Currently, the City of Newcastle has four wards, which each elect three Councillors, plus a popularly elected Lord Mayor, resulting in 13 Councillors.
Under the Local Government Act 1993, the total number of electors in each ward must not vary by more than 10 per cent with another ward.
Significant population growth across Newcastle means several wards no longer meet this threshold.
Councillors voted on Tuesday to place the proposed ward boundary plan on public exhibition for a 42-day period, with a further report to be prepared for the council following the consultation period.
Acting CEO Ken Liddell said extensive planning has gone into the proposed changes.
“When the boundaries of the four wards were drawn up around 25 years ago, the City of Newcastle was a very different place,” he said.
“Since that time, and especially following the last Local Government Election in September 2017, a significant level of development has taken place across the LGA.
“This has led to variation in voter numbers between the wards, which must be amended before the NSW Electoral Commission’s deadline of December this year.
“The process of redistributing voters is not a simple one, with a range of factors that need to be considered including natural boundaries, suburb boundaries, Census districts and future growth projections.
“We are confident the proposed changes represent the best way forward to rectify this situation, and will also ensure this process does not have to be repeated in the short term.”
Under the proposed redistribution, several whole or part suburbs will be moved into different wards in order to comply with the ward variation requirement. These changes will only be relevant when voting in City of Newcastle local government elections.
The proposed ward boundary map is now on public exhibition. A Community Discussion Paper has been developed to help community members better understand the review and any impacts of the proposed changes.
Both documents can be found on the City of Newcastle website, with hard copies also available from the Council Administration Centre and the city’s network of libraries. Submissions close at midnight on Thursday 10 October 2019.

Police are appealing for public assistance following a carjacking near Newcastle yesterday.
About 5pm Thursday (29 August 2019), a man was driving his Mazda 3 sedan in a southerly direction on the Pacific Highway, Highfields, when another man entered the car via the passenger door.
It is alleged the man demanded the driver, aged 89, give him his keys before the driver entered a service station and parked the vehicle.
The man then allegedly forcibly removed the 89-year-old from the vehicle and grabbed the keys before driving away on the Pacific Highway at speed.
Shortly after, a Mazda 3 was observed being driven erratically along Lexington Parade, Kotara, outside a shopping centre.
The car allegedly collided with five vehicles between Lexington Parade and Park Avenue.
The Mazda 3 was again sighted driving down Howe Street, Lambton, before crashing into an unattended parked vehicle and a second car waiting at the traffic lights near the intersection of Hobart Street.
Following the collisions, the man fled from the Mazda 3 on foot across Lambton Park and was later observed running through properties on Karoola and Fitzroy roads.
The man is described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance, aged in his 30s, with a solid build. He was last seen wearing a dark hooded jumper and a white baseball cap.
The owner of the vehicle was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for minor injuries including an abrasion and bruising.
Officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District attended and commenced an investigation.
Police are now appealing for anyone who may have dashcam vision or any further information about the whereabouts of the men to come forward.

Funding for projects to boost local business precincts is one step closer following the adoption of the Special Business Rate (SBR) Expenditure Policy.
Councillors voted last night to approve the new framework, which will guide the development of projects and events in the City Centre, Hamilton, Mayfield, Wallsend and New Lambton.
City of Newcastle Director Strategy and Engagement Brett Smith said the policy will pave the way for new activations to draw more people into local business areas.
“Newcastle is fortunate to have a range of unique business districts, each with its own special character and attractions,” he said.  “This policy will help businesses harness the potential of their local precinct and promote its appeal to a wider visitor audience.”
Forty-six applications were received as part of the initial expression of interest (EOI), which invited businesses, not-for-profit organisations and community groups to apply for a share of $900,000 in funding.
A panel consistent with City of Newcastle’s current Economic Development grant panel, with the addition of an independent business representative, will assess applications against a range of eligibility criteria, including a requirement to demonstrate how the project will benefit businesses within the SBR precinct.
This process is expected to be completed by the end of September, followed by an announcement of the successful projects from this initial round of applications.
Funding of up to $500,000 for a single project or event in the Newcastle CBD is possible under the new program, with smaller grants of up to $15,000 available in Hamilton, Wallsend and New Lambton.  Funds must be used for the promotion, beautification and development of the business precincts.
A second EOI will be held before the end of the year for the three smaller business precincts, with the aim of generating additional grassroots projects for further consideration.
To increase awareness of the program and provide support to applicants, City of Newcastle staff will host a series of information sessions across Hamilton, Wallsend and New Lambton.
The SBR Expenditure Policy was placed on public exhibition for a three-week period and feedback received from the community was carefully considered before the policy went before councillors last night.
This included amending the draft policy to clearly reflect the legislative requirement that SBR funds are to be spent within the precinct from which they are collected.
The SBR Policy also guides the allocation of funding to the relevant Business Improvement Associations (BIAs). In response to independent recommendations to improve the use of SBR funds, local agency Purser Corporate Communication has been engaged to provide a range of support services to the BIAs.
Purser Managing Director Meg Purser said that the new BIA model provided opportunity for businesses to support growth and economic opportunity across the city.
“The revised BIA structure has been designed to enable a panel of business people to develop and manage promotional and marketing strategies, as well as beautification projects that enhance their precinct, attract business and encourage visitation,” she said.