Police are appealing for information to locate a man who may be able to assist with inquiries after a suburban dispute in the Hunter yesterday.
About 12.40pm (Thursday 1 August 2019), a 27-year-old man attended a home on Pepler Place, Thornton with what is believed to be a weapon.
Police have been told the man threatened residents inside the home and poured a flammable substance on the property.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were called a short time later.
Upon seeing police, the man fled the scene through nearby bushland.
An extensive search operation was conducted around the Thornton and East Maitland areas, utilising resources from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District, the Police Dog Unit and PolAir, however he was not located.
No arrests have been made at this stage; investigations are continuing to locate the man.
Police believe this was a targeted incident, the parties were known to each other.
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Serious two-vehicle crash – Hexham
Police are on the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash at Hexham.
Shortly after 10am, emergency services were called to the scene at Maitland Road, Hexham following reports a truck and a motorcycle had collided.
The male motorcycle rider, believed to be aged in his 20s, is being taken to John Hunter Hospital. It’s understood he’s in a serious but stable condition.
The male driver of the truck has been taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
Two of three southbound lanes on Maitland Road are closed and they will remain closed for some time.
The Hexham Bridge will also be affected, diversions are in place for southbound motorists via Tomago Road. Northbound motorists are unaffected. Drivers are urged to avoid the area.
For the latest traffic updates, visit www.livetraffic.com.
Para-glider injured in crash – Newcastle
A para-glider has sustained non-life-threatening injuries after a crash at Newcastle yesterday afternoon.
About 3pm (Wednesday 31 July 2019), a 75-year-old man launched his para-glider from Hickson Street, Merewether.
Shortly after, the pilot has crash landed and at 4pm, emergency services were called to the scene.
Officers from Newcastle City Police Area Command attended, with NSW Ambulance paramedics, Fire and Rescue NSW and the Westpac rescue helicopter.
Due to the remote location and steep gradient of the landscape, a critical care doctor assessed the pilot at the crash site and the pilot was airlifted to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.
The pilot sustained non-life-threatening injuries including a collapsed lung, rib fractures, a spinal fracture and a pelvic fracture. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Police officers and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau will continue investigations to understand the cause of the crash.
Man dies after cliff fall – Newcastle
A critical incident investigation has been launched following the non-suspicious death of a man in the presence of police yesterday.
Police were called to Bogey Hole, Newcastle about 5pm following reports that there was a concern for the welfare of a man at that location.
About 7.20pm (Monday 29 July 2019), the 36-year-old man fell from the cliff with police in attendance.
A critical incident team from Lake Macquarie Police District will now investigate all circumstances surrounding the incident. Police were conversing with the man prior to his fall.
That investigation will be subject to an independent review.
All information will be provided to the Coroner who will determine the cause of death and make any findings about the events leading to the man’s death.
No further details are available at this time; however, Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward. Anyone who can assist Police should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Library honours city’s convict women
The plights of convict women who overcame great hardships to help create the fabulous city enjoyed by latter-day Novocastrians will be explored in an upcoming Newcastle Library exhibition.
They Sent Me North: Female Convicts in the Hunter features redemptive stories on the women’s struggles and achievements, a display of bonnets in the style they sported and a bonnet-making workshop in their honour.
Both the historical snapshot and a book of the same title were developed by Newcastle Family History Society to celebrate the lives of the 1,600 women sent to the Hunter between 1804 and 1822.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said people from right across the region would enjoy the look back at the hardy European pioneers.
“If you want to find out if you have a connection to those resilient women, this is a must-see exhibition,” Councillor Nelmes said.
“The book is a fascinating database of the female convicts sent to Newcastle and the Hunter, and includes 70 short biographies penned by their descendants.
“One remarkable character was retailer Ann “Hannah” Langham. Her Hunter Street shop was fondly remembered by Novocastrians well into the 20th Century, and we’d love to hear from one of her descendants ahead of the exhibition.”
‘Mrs Langham’s store’ amounted to Newcastle’s “commercial world” in 1859, the Newcastle Morning Herald wrote in 1897.
Transported for stealing a watch at age 19, Langham (nee Williams) was assigned to a reverend’s Aboriginal mission at Lake Macquarie after arriving at Port Jackson in 1829.
The former London laundress married Samuel Langham as a free woman in 1832 and, following his two-year jailing for indebtedness and the death of a daughter, they opened their store opposite the old courthouse in the mid to late 1840s. It became “the only business of any consequence on the main street” and a “fancy warehouse”, recalled the Newcastle Sun on 31 October 1938.
Mrs Langham closed her store in 1879 – 25 years after Samuel died – and was thought to have moved to Sydney. She had returned by 1890 and died seven years later at the Benevolent Asylum in Waratah at 87. Despite the cause of death being listed as “senile decay”, the Herald dutifully reported “she retained all her faculties to the last”.
The exhibition is part of Roses from the Heart, an Australia-wide initiative created by Dr Christina Henri, which pays tribute to all convict women sentenced to transportation in Australia.
Mel Woodford, Newcastle Family History Society President, said the bonnet displays and workshop idea emerged from the book.
“Jan Richards, fellow member of the Newcastle Family History Society, and I have been working on this publication for four or five years now, and it just seemed fitting to honour the convict women by displaying the bonnets created by their families,” Ms Woodford said.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Maitland & Beyond Family History Inc., Newcastle Family History Society Inc. and Raymond Terrace & District Historical Society Inc.
The exhibition runs from 31 July – 24 August during the library’s regular opening hours.
Image Caption: Mary Eckford (nee Horrell) was sentenced aged 14 in Devon for stealing an apron and a handkerchief in 1798 . She married Newcastle Harbour Master William Eckford in 1802 and they had eight children, who went to Newcastle East Public School.
Launch
When: Tuesday 30 July, 5.30pm
Who: Dr Christina Henri, 2014 Senior Australian of the Year (Tasmania) and Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes.
Where: Lovett Gallery, Newcastle Library, Lovett Gallery.
Two shortened bios from the Exhibition
Margaret McGreavy (nee Tynan):
A few months after Margaret’s husband was transported from Ireland in March 1817, she too was convicted of stealing. In a planned penance, she found herself in Port Jackson aged 21 the following year. The couple were living together in Sydney in 1820 when both were caught receiving stolen goods and sent north to Newcastle. An alleged rape of their daughter somehow led them to Port Macquarie, but both Margaret and her husband James returned to run Newcastle pubs from 1833. Margaret died in 1865 and was remembered as a pioneer of the Newcastle East End. Her grandson, James Nixon Brunker, after whom Brunker Road was likely named, became a Member of Parliament in 1880, Minister for Lands in 1888, Colonial Secretary in 1884, and was considered one of the Founding Fathers of the Australian Constitution,
Maria Courtney
Maria was transported with six members of her family for counterfeiting sixpences in the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed in northern England. Initially sentenced to hang, she gave birth to a son two weeks before her date with the gallows on 5 August 1816. Their sentence was commuted to life and transportation to Australia. Aged 27, Maria arrived in Port Jackson aboard the Friendship in January 1818. She married Dennis Hammil in September that year and had two daughters before the family took on a 10-acre farm at Windsor on the Hawkesbury. Two sons followed their move to Richmond before they moved to East Maitland (then Wallis Plains), where Maria died aged 38 in 1828, leaving Dennis to raise four young children.
They Sent Me North: Female Convicts in the Hunter features redemptive stories on the women’s struggles and achievements, a display of bonnets in the style they sported and a bonnet-making workshop in their honour.
Both the historical snapshot and a book of the same title were developed by Newcastle Family History Society to celebrate the lives of the 1,600 women sent to the Hunter between 1804 and 1822.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said people from right across the region would enjoy the look back at the hardy European pioneers.
“If you want to find out if you have a connection to those resilient women, this is a must-see exhibition,” Councillor Nelmes said.
“The book is a fascinating database of the female convicts sent to Newcastle and the Hunter, and includes 70 short biographies penned by their descendants.
“One remarkable character was retailer Ann “Hannah” Langham. Her Hunter Street shop was fondly remembered by Novocastrians well into the 20th Century, and we’d love to hear from one of her descendants ahead of the exhibition.”
‘Mrs Langham’s store’ amounted to Newcastle’s “commercial world” in 1859, the Newcastle Morning Herald wrote in 1897.
Transported for stealing a watch at age 19, Langham (nee Williams) was assigned to a reverend’s Aboriginal mission at Lake Macquarie after arriving at Port Jackson in 1829.
The former London laundress married Samuel Langham as a free woman in 1832 and, following his two-year jailing for indebtedness and the death of a daughter, they opened their store opposite the old courthouse in the mid to late 1840s. It became “the only business of any consequence on the main street” and a “fancy warehouse”, recalled the Newcastle Sun on 31 October 1938.
Mrs Langham closed her store in 1879 – 25 years after Samuel died – and was thought to have moved to Sydney. She had returned by 1890 and died seven years later at the Benevolent Asylum in Waratah at 87. Despite the cause of death being listed as “senile decay”, the Herald dutifully reported “she retained all her faculties to the last”.
The exhibition is part of Roses from the Heart, an Australia-wide initiative created by Dr Christina Henri, which pays tribute to all convict women sentenced to transportation in Australia.
Mel Woodford, Newcastle Family History Society President, said the bonnet displays and workshop idea emerged from the book.
“Jan Richards, fellow member of the Newcastle Family History Society, and I have been working on this publication for four or five years now, and it just seemed fitting to honour the convict women by displaying the bonnets created by their families,” Ms Woodford said.
The exhibition is a collaboration between Maitland & Beyond Family History Inc., Newcastle Family History Society Inc. and Raymond Terrace & District Historical Society Inc.
The exhibition runs from 31 July – 24 August during the library’s regular opening hours.
Image Caption: Mary Eckford (nee Horrell) was sentenced aged 14 in Devon for stealing an apron and a handkerchief in 1798 . She married Newcastle Harbour Master William Eckford in 1802 and they had eight children, who went to Newcastle East Public School.
Launch
When: Tuesday 30 July, 5.30pm
Who: Dr Christina Henri, 2014 Senior Australian of the Year (Tasmania) and Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes.
Where: Lovett Gallery, Newcastle Library, Lovett Gallery.
Two shortened bios from the Exhibition
Margaret McGreavy (nee Tynan):
A few months after Margaret’s husband was transported from Ireland in March 1817, she too was convicted of stealing. In a planned penance, she found herself in Port Jackson aged 21 the following year. The couple were living together in Sydney in 1820 when both were caught receiving stolen goods and sent north to Newcastle. An alleged rape of their daughter somehow led them to Port Macquarie, but both Margaret and her husband James returned to run Newcastle pubs from 1833. Margaret died in 1865 and was remembered as a pioneer of the Newcastle East End. Her grandson, James Nixon Brunker, after whom Brunker Road was likely named, became a Member of Parliament in 1880, Minister for Lands in 1888, Colonial Secretary in 1884, and was considered one of the Founding Fathers of the Australian Constitution,
Maria Courtney
Maria was transported with six members of her family for counterfeiting sixpences in the Borough of Berwick-upon-Tweed in northern England. Initially sentenced to hang, she gave birth to a son two weeks before her date with the gallows on 5 August 1816. Their sentence was commuted to life and transportation to Australia. Aged 27, Maria arrived in Port Jackson aboard the Friendship in January 1818. She married Dennis Hammil in September that year and had two daughters before the family took on a 10-acre farm at Windsor on the Hawkesbury. Two sons followed their move to Richmond before they moved to East Maitland (then Wallis Plains), where Maria died aged 38 in 1828, leaving Dennis to raise four young children.
New concept plans for Newcastle Beach
City of Newcastle has released updated concept plans for the Bathers Way – Newcastle Beach project, including a beachside skate bowl positioned within the existing promenade at South Newcastle Beach.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the improvements were in response to feedback on the original design which had been partially built over the beach.
“While these are concept plans only, they demonstrate that we can have a bowl suitable for intermediate skaters and accessible for wheelchair sports, without the need for it to protrude onto the beach,” the Lord Mayor said.
“These concepts allow us to work with the community, skaters, coastal engineers, environmental and geotechnical experts to determine more detailed designs for this stage of the Bathers Way project.
“We’re now asking the community to have their say on these concepts as we undertake formal consultation, refine the detailed designs, and ultimately start construction.”
Following community engagement on the concept images, detailed design will continue towards a state-of-the-art skate park for intermediate to advanced users and wheelchair athletes. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2020.
“This will ensure that we continue to achieve our vision of delivering this fantastic public pathway along one of the most magnificent stretches of coastline in the country,” the Lord Mayor said.
The Bathers Way – Newcastle Beach is the largest and most complex stage of the Bathers Way project.
This stage, which also includes a new kiosk and amenities and outdoor exercise equipment, will transform a section of coast which has long been dormant into a vibrant and attractive place.
Further upgrades are proposed for the Bathers Way between King Edward Park and Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club, including access improvements and a community hub in the Newcastle Beach Pavilion following its redevelopment.
“When the King Edward Park and Memorial Drive sections are completed, Newcastle will boast a stairless six-kilometre coastal pathway that will surpass any in Australia,” the Lord Mayor added.
Have your say on the new concept plans, here, now until the end of August.
Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the improvements were in response to feedback on the original design which had been partially built over the beach.
“While these are concept plans only, they demonstrate that we can have a bowl suitable for intermediate skaters and accessible for wheelchair sports, without the need for it to protrude onto the beach,” the Lord Mayor said.
“These concepts allow us to work with the community, skaters, coastal engineers, environmental and geotechnical experts to determine more detailed designs for this stage of the Bathers Way project.
“We’re now asking the community to have their say on these concepts as we undertake formal consultation, refine the detailed designs, and ultimately start construction.”
Following community engagement on the concept images, detailed design will continue towards a state-of-the-art skate park for intermediate to advanced users and wheelchair athletes. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2020.
“This will ensure that we continue to achieve our vision of delivering this fantastic public pathway along one of the most magnificent stretches of coastline in the country,” the Lord Mayor said.
The Bathers Way – Newcastle Beach is the largest and most complex stage of the Bathers Way project.
This stage, which also includes a new kiosk and amenities and outdoor exercise equipment, will transform a section of coast which has long been dormant into a vibrant and attractive place.
Further upgrades are proposed for the Bathers Way between King Edward Park and Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club, including access improvements and a community hub in the Newcastle Beach Pavilion following its redevelopment.
“When the King Edward Park and Memorial Drive sections are completed, Newcastle will boast a stairless six-kilometre coastal pathway that will surpass any in Australia,” the Lord Mayor added.
Have your say on the new concept plans, here, now until the end of August.
Fourth man charged over alleged Toronto armed robbery – Strike Force Bergs
A fourth man has been charged following investigations into a series of armed robberies across the Lake Macquarie region earlier this year.
Detectives from the State Crime Command’s Robbery and Serious Crime Squad established Strike Force Bergs to investigate eight armed robberies at bowling clubs and a golf club, which occurred between February and May 2019.
As part of their inquiries, three men – aged 24, 27 and 36 – were arrested and charged by strike force detectives last month. They remain before the courts.
Following further investigations, police arrested a 29-year-old man at a home in Tamworth about 10am today (Thursday 25 July 2019).
He was taken to Tamworth Police Station and charged with two counts of robbery armed with offensive weapon.
Police will allege in court this was in connection with an armed robbery at a club in Toronto on Friday 24 May 2019.
The man was refused bail to appear before Tamworth Local Court today (Thursday 25 July 2019).
Investigations under Strike Force Bergs continue.
Park and Ride locked in
Newcastle’s popular Park and Ride will continue with a family friendly tweak, starting the afternoon service to McDonald Jones Stadium earlier to support parents who need to pick their kids up from school or childcare.
Keolis Downer Hunter has been awarded the contract to continue operating Park and Ride until at least 30 June 2020, beginning Monday 29 July 2019 with a new fee of $4.60.
City of Newcastle has kept the service running since Transport for NSW pulled its funding earlier this year and during that time surveyed current and prospective passengers on cost, preferred running times, and barriers to use.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Park and Ride plays an important role in freeing up around 200 car parks in the city centre each day by giving commuters a convenient and affordable alternative to driving and paying for all day parking.
“Since taking over Park and Ride in April, the City has assessed passenger feedback, running times and patronage to determine whether the service should continue and how it could be improved,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We’ve heard from the community, city businesses and major employers, and the message is clear; Park and Ride is making the daily commute easier for more than 1,000 regular weekly users, keeping cars out of the CBD, and should be continued.
“For a person who switches from parking in the city each day to using the Park and Ride express bus from Broadmeadow, they will be on average $900 a year better off.”
New Lambton resident Jenni Payne, a graphic designer who works in the city, takes Park and Ride three days a week and said the earlier afternoon return service would make her life easier.
“I’m always in a mad rush to get back to the car and pick the kids up from school,” said the mother of two New Lambton Public School students. “So, getting the return bus at 2.25pm will definitely take the pressure off and make Park and Ride a more convenient option for me.”
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City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said the price increase, along with in-kind support from Venues NSW and McDonald Jones Stadium, and a competitive agreement with the operator, made continuing the service viable for the City.
“The return price of $4.60 for an express service is substantially cheaper than the $7-return Opal bus fare or the $8.50 all-day city parking,” Mr Bath said.
“Venues NSW must be thanked for throwing its support behind Park and Ride by agreeing to waive the parking fee it previously charged City of Newcastle to locate the Park and Ride at McDonald Jones Stadium.
“There have been more than 120,000 passenger trips on Park and Ride since it commenced in November 2017, and with the future of the service now secured, the City of Newcastle is committed to further increasing passenger numbers by ensuring the service is convenient and reliable and saves its users time and money.”
Venues NSW CEO Paul Doorn said Venues NSW was keen to continue its support for the park and ride.
“Venues NSW is happy to work with the City of Newcastle to deliver Park and Ride and ensure assets like McDonald Jones Stadium benefit the Newcastle community outside of event days,” he said.
Park and Ride continues from Monday 29 July. For more information visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/parkandride
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New Lambton’s Jenni Payne boards the Park and Ride bus before embarking on the busy school run
Lambton commuter Jordan May loves how afforadable the service is
Keolis Downer Hunter has been awarded the contract to continue operating Park and Ride until at least 30 June 2020, beginning Monday 29 July 2019 with a new fee of $4.60.
City of Newcastle has kept the service running since Transport for NSW pulled its funding earlier this year and during that time surveyed current and prospective passengers on cost, preferred running times, and barriers to use.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said Park and Ride plays an important role in freeing up around 200 car parks in the city centre each day by giving commuters a convenient and affordable alternative to driving and paying for all day parking.“Since taking over Park and Ride in April, the City has assessed passenger feedback, running times and patronage to determine whether the service should continue and how it could be improved,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We’ve heard from the community, city businesses and major employers, and the message is clear; Park and Ride is making the daily commute easier for more than 1,000 regular weekly users, keeping cars out of the CBD, and should be continued.
“For a person who switches from parking in the city each day to using the Park and Ride express bus from Broadmeadow, they will be on average $900 a year better off.”
New Lambton resident Jenni Payne, a graphic designer who works in the city, takes Park and Ride three days a week and said the earlier afternoon return service would make her life easier.
“I’m always in a mad rush to get back to the car and pick the kids up from school,” said the mother of two New Lambton Public School students. “So, getting the return bus at 2.25pm will definitely take the pressure off and make Park and Ride a more convenient option for me.”
City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said the price increase, along with in-kind support from Venues NSW and McDonald Jones Stadium, and a competitive agreement with the operator, made continuing the service viable for the City.
“The return price of $4.60 for an express service is substantially cheaper than the $7-return Opal bus fare or the $8.50 all-day city parking,” Mr Bath said.
“Venues NSW must be thanked for throwing its support behind Park and Ride by agreeing to waive the parking fee it previously charged City of Newcastle to locate the Park and Ride at McDonald Jones Stadium.
“There have been more than 120,000 passenger trips on Park and Ride since it commenced in November 2017, and with the future of the service now secured, the City of Newcastle is committed to further increasing passenger numbers by ensuring the service is convenient and reliable and saves its users time and money.”
Venues NSW CEO Paul Doorn said Venues NSW was keen to continue its support for the park and ride.
“Venues NSW is happy to work with the City of Newcastle to deliver Park and Ride and ensure assets like McDonald Jones Stadium benefit the Newcastle community outside of event days,” he said.
Park and Ride continues from Monday 29 July. For more information visit www.newcastle.nsw.gov.au/parkandride
New Lambton’s Jenni Payne boards the Park and Ride bus before embarking on the busy school runLambton commuter Jordan May loves how afforadable the service is
Cycleways and green space for the West End
Separated cycle ways, new dedicated green spaces and wider streets to improve pedestrian and traffic flows will be built in the City’s emerging CBD following the adoption of the West End Stage 2 – Streetscape Plan.
The West End improvements were given the green light from Councillors last night after 85 per cent of those surveyed during the 28-day public exhibition period put forward their support for the plan.
How Denison Street could look under the new urban streetscape designs
Of those surveyed, 93 per cent said they supported an increase to green spaces, while 89 per cent agreed that better cycleways and public domain improvements – such as an increase in public art – were important to them.
Traffic improvements, alfresco dining options and the creation of ‘rain gardens’, self-watering, low-maintenance gardens designed to protect our rivers and creeks by capturing stormwater that runs off hard surfaces when it rains, also received support across the nine survey questions.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the results showed the public was behind the City’s vision for the future.
“It shows that there is a strong appetite for people to see our vision to create a vibrant, connected and liveable city, realised,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Together with our plans to upgrade Birdwood and Little Birdwood Park as part of Stage 1, we will create a safe, accessible precinct around the Newcastle Interchange where vibrant streetscapes will encourage more public and active transport use.
“Both plans will support the growth of Newcastle’s new CBD in the west and cultural precinct in the east.”
Steel Street, looking north, with wider streets and new-look paving
Five green spaces totalling an area larger than a football field will be built in the west to reduce the risks of a ‘heat island’ effect, which see built-up urban areas become significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.
A safe, separated east-west cycleway in the Stage 2 plan will stretch from Wickham Park to Union Street along Hunter Street’s southern edge, running between the footpath and a new island bus stop with greenery outside the “Spotlight” corner.
Another separated cycleway will run north from National Park to Honeysuckle along the western side of Steel Street better connecting the Junction and Merewether with the harbour foreshore.
New crossings will also be created for pedestrians along Hunter Street as part of the Stage 2 upgrades.
The City will update the community when the construction timetable is determined.
The West End improvements were given the green light from Councillors last night after 85 per cent of those surveyed during the 28-day public exhibition period put forward their support for the plan.
How Denison Street could look under the new urban streetscape designsOf those surveyed, 93 per cent said they supported an increase to green spaces, while 89 per cent agreed that better cycleways and public domain improvements – such as an increase in public art – were important to them.
Traffic improvements, alfresco dining options and the creation of ‘rain gardens’, self-watering, low-maintenance gardens designed to protect our rivers and creeks by capturing stormwater that runs off hard surfaces when it rains, also received support across the nine survey questions.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the results showed the public was behind the City’s vision for the future.
“It shows that there is a strong appetite for people to see our vision to create a vibrant, connected and liveable city, realised,” the Lord Mayor said.
“Together with our plans to upgrade Birdwood and Little Birdwood Park as part of Stage 1, we will create a safe, accessible precinct around the Newcastle Interchange where vibrant streetscapes will encourage more public and active transport use.
“Both plans will support the growth of Newcastle’s new CBD in the west and cultural precinct in the east.”
Steel Street, looking north, with wider streets and new-look pavingFive green spaces totalling an area larger than a football field will be built in the west to reduce the risks of a ‘heat island’ effect, which see built-up urban areas become significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas.
A safe, separated east-west cycleway in the Stage 2 plan will stretch from Wickham Park to Union Street along Hunter Street’s southern edge, running between the footpath and a new island bus stop with greenery outside the “Spotlight” corner.
Another separated cycleway will run north from National Park to Honeysuckle along the western side of Steel Street better connecting the Junction and Merewether with the harbour foreshore.
New crossings will also be created for pedestrians along Hunter Street as part of the Stage 2 upgrades.
The City will update the community when the construction timetable is determined.
Council Update Tuesday 23 July 2019
Following is a summary of the Ordinary Council Meeting for Tuesday 23 July 2019. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.
Lord Mayoral Minutes
A LMM requesting that a submission be made to the Joint Select Committee regarding Sydney’s night-time economy, was endorsed. The submission will refer to information relating to the City’s own progress in this area through the Newcastle After Dark Strategy.
A LMM congratulating former Newcastle MP Jodie McKay’s election as NSW leader of the Opposition, was endorsed.
Ordinary Business
Supplementary report – Public Exhibition of the Code of Meeting Practice
Council resolved to place a new Code of Meeting Practice on public exhibition for 42 days. The key change to the Code is to allow for an extension of time for Councillor speeches from three minutes to five minutes.
Exhibition of Draft Community Participation Plan
Councillors voted to place the Draft Community Participation Plan on public exhibition for a period of 28 days. The plan will outline how and when City of Newcastle (CN) will engage with the community across the planning functions it performs under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
Adoption of Amendment to Newcastle DCP 2012 – section 6.02 Heritage Conservation Areas
Councillors supported a motion to amend Newcastle’s Development Control Plan. The amendments address matters relating to the classification of buildings within Heritage Conservation Areas (HCAs). The new provisions will provide guidance on Development Application submission requirements when the development is within an HCA.
Special Business Rate Expenditure Policy
A new financial incentive scheme, known as the Special Business Rate expenditure policy, which allows businesses, not-for-profit organisations and community groups to apply for around $900,000 to attract more people into the City’s business areas, was supported.
Adoption of the West End Streetscape – Stage 2 Plan
Councillors voted to adopt the West End Stage 2 – Streetscape Plan which will deliver Safe, separated cycle ways, new dedicated green spaces and wider streets ensuring improved pedestrian and motorist traffic flows in West End.
Notices of Motion
Urban Heat Island Research Project
A NOM requesting City of Newcastle holds a public forum on research projects into the Urban Heat Island effect across Newcastle, and outlines possible actions that City of Newcastle may be able to take to mitigate urban warming, was supported.
Rehabilitation of Throsby Creek
A NOM requesting councillors be afforded a public briefing from a member of the Throsby Creek Government Agencies Committee and City Staff in relation to actions outlined in the Throsby Creek Catchment Plan, was supported.
Pollinator Planting Program
Councillors supported a NOM to receive a report on the options for amending the City of Newcastle Urban Forestry Policy and Street Tree Selection Manual. The report will help improve the provision of pollinator forage on City-managed land in Newcastle, including bees and native pollinators.
Public access audit of Automated External Defibrillators
A NOM requesting staff conduct and publish an audit of publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in the LGA to determine the extent of current availability, and future needs, for AEDs at City of Newcastle facilities, was supported.
Gregson Park plan of management and enhancements
A NOM requesting a workshop for Councillors to outline the Plan of Management process for Gregson Park, including opportunities for the community to provide feedback regarding upgrades and future uses of Gregson Park, was supported.