Category: Newcastle News

A man has been charged with a number of offences including assault after police were called to a hotel in Wickham yesterday.
About 7.35pm (Monday 22 October 2018), officers from Newcastle City were called to a hotel on Maitland Road following reports of an assault.
On arrival officers were told a 47-year-old man allegedly threatened a female staff member after he was asked to leave due to his level of intoxication.
It’s alleged the man punched a male patron before throwing a schooner glass towards him causing it to smash on the ground.
The patron suffered minor injuries – not from the glass – and didn’t require medical treatment.
Police arrested the man and during a search officers allegedly located a large amount of money and a billiard ball wrapped within a sock.
The man was taken to Newcastle Police Station where he was charged with intimidation, common assault, goods in custody suspected of being stolen or unlawfully obtained and custody of an offensive implement in a public place.
He was refused bail and will appear in Newcastle Local Court today (Tuesday 23 October 2018).

City of Newcastle has secured the NSW Waratahs first ever official Super Rugby match at McDonald Jones Stadium in March next year.
The announcement breaks new ground for both the 2014 Super Rugby champions and City of Newcastle, with Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes confirming next year’s fixture would be the first time the State team has taken a home game to a destination outside of Sydney.

^{NSW Waratahs Assistant Coach Chris Whitaker and CEO Andrew Hore with Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes at McDonald Jones Stadium}
“This is a major coup for Newcastle so to be standing here at McDonald Jones Stadium today to welcome this foundation State team to our city is just incredible,” the Lord Mayor said after the City secured the NSW Waratahs’ historic game as part of a joint bid with Venues NSW.
“We’re proud to be the inaugural beneficiaries of the NSW Waratahs’ first foray outside of Sydney, particularly for a competition which has now achieved true international status with the addition of Japanese and Argentinean teams.”

The NSW Waratahs have played pre-season matches outside of Sydney, but the 29 March fixture against the Japan Sunwolves will be the first home game ever staged outside of the harbour city during the regular season.
“Securing the NSW Waratahs is just the latest major sporting team or event Newcastle has secured over the past year,” the Lord Mayor said.
“We’ve just had the Australian netball team play a test against England. The Matildas game vs Chile is early next month, and of course final preparations are under way for November’s Supercars race. Next month we will learn if Newcastle will be the 2021 host city for the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
“Our ability to continually attract some of the country’s best live sporting and entertainment events shows just how committed we are to making our city the best it can possibly be.
“We look forward to working with the NSW Waratahs, Venues NSW and McDonald Jones Stadium to host this event next year in the hope that it will become a permanent fixture from 2020 onwards.”
^{NSW Waratahs prop Harry Johnson-Holmes at McDonald Jones Stadium}

Budding innovators and entrepreneurs can upload their own forward-thinking into Newcastle’s future economy through a series of upcoming Smart City engagement activities.
Part of Smart Move Newcastle and a collaboration between Eighteen04 and the City of Newcastle, a series of events aim to encourage local innovation and nurture future industries.
City of Newcastle is encouraging start-ups and tech innovators to:

• Come and hang out in the City for three days and join our Urban Internet of Things* (IoT) Hackathon, between 25-27 October to help develop solutions to common safety, waste and amenity concerns in urban environments; and
• Be a part of our Online Mobility Challenge – 27 September to 27 November – to generate new ideas around using data to encourage electric vehicle usage and other transport options.

“Scores of start-ups, emerging businesses and student ventures in Newcastle will take part in and benefit from a variety of competitive innovation challenges,” Chair of Eighteen04 Gunilla Burrowes said.
“The events will also provide a great opportunity to showcase Newcastle’s excellent smart city infrastructure and platforms to a national and international audience.”
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the start-up engagement program would further confirm Newcastle as a smart city leader.
“Our vision is to be a smart, liveable and sustainable global city by 2030,” the Lord Mayor said.
“While we talk a lot about smart technology and infrastructure, smart cities are first and foremost about people.
“These fantastic hands-on engagement challenges will nurture innovation locally and show how innovation and technology can help solve urban problems and make life easier.”
“With integrated smart poles, sensor networks and data analytics platforms coming on line, we have an exceptional environment for entrepreneurial businesses large and small,” the Lord Mayor added.
“We have the capacity and are attracting the talent to develop the next generation of Smart City solutions right here in Newcastle to address challenges that many cities are facing.”
The program is part of the $13m Smart Moves Newcastle project, which received $5m through the Federal Government’s Smart Cities and Suburbs program last year.
Through Smart Moves Newcastle, the City is partnering with a consortium of technology businesses to provide an integrated network for transport, energy and digital infrastructure to transform the city into a ‘living lab’.
An Energy Demonstration Project in December will also showcase emerging energy-saving and monitoring technologies in the retail market, with more details to come.

Saturday evening’s Professional Bull Riders ( PBR) Monster Energy Tour: Dubbo Invitational, concluded in dramatic fashion, coming down to the wire as current Australian #4 Cody Heffernan clinched victory with a rousing 89-point ride on the final buck off of the night.
Taking place at Dubbo Showgrounds in PBR’s new state-of-the-art mobile stadium before a capacity crowd, the event attracted 22 of the nation’s top riders, including the top five riders on the current Australian Standings.
Heffernan’s picture perfect final ride upon TNR’s Call Me Joe saw him narrowly pip current Australian #1 Aaron Kleier to the Dubbo Invitational title – solidifying Heffernan as a serious 2018  title contender with only one event left until the PBR Australia Grand Finals in Townsville on November 23 & 24.
The Dubbo Invitational also attracted some of the best bulls in the sport, with superstar bovines wowing local audiences including the likes of TnR’s ‘Call Me Joe’, John Gill and Sons’ ‘High Flying Akubra’, Hempenstall’s ‘Doorman’ and Kasper’s ‘Villain’.
With the win, Singleton (NSW)-born Heffernan sent this year’s title race into overdrive. The slimmest of margins now separates Heffernan and Rankings #3 Fraser Babbington, with both riders also within striking distance of #1 Aaron Kleier  and #2 Cliff Richardson.
The PBRA now heads to Tamworth for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Monster Energy Tour: Iron Cowboy on November 17, before the PBR Grand Finals in Townsville on November 23-24.
Nineteen years after the PBR began staging events in Townsville, the Grand Finals will bring twenty-two of the country’s best bull riders, along with international stars and champion bulls, to Townsville for a head-to-head battle that will decide the National Champion and Stock Contractor of the Year titles.
“As with previous years, we’re expecting the 2018 title battle to attract diehard PBR fans from all over Australia.It is anybody’s title this year, and with four more events to go, and the bonus points on offer at the Grand Finals, fans can expect a very tight battle,” says PBR Australia General Manager, Glen Young.
 

Detectives investigating a report a teenage girl was sexually assaulted in the Hunter region last week have confirmed the incident did not occur.
Police were told a 14-year-old girl was sexually assaulted by an unknown man in bushland after getting off a bus on the Pacific Highway near South Street, Windale, about 3.30pm last Wednesday (17 October 2018).
The matter was reported to officers from Lake Macquarie Police District, who launched an investigation with the assistance of detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad.
Following extensive investigations, including forensic examinations and speaking with a number of people, detectives have confirmed that the report was false.
The girl has been spoken to by police and offered support services.
Police would like to thank the community and media for their assistance with this matter.

City of Newcastle has taken out top honours for its work on the climate change frontline, at the inaugural Cities Power Partner Summit Awards.
The City took home the Cities Power Partnership Energy Efficiency Achievement award for the Newcastle Museum Energy Upgrade Project, which upgraded lighting in several sections of the building to maximise energy efficiency, saving thousands on power bills, in addition to a installing a 100kW solar panel.

The awards, held Thursday 18 October in Kiama NSW as part of the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership National Summit, recognised the unsung work of climate heroes in local governments across the country, who are quietly transforming Australia’s energy landscape.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the city was thrilled to be recognised as energy efficiency leaders within Australia.
“This project is one that continues to build on our long track record of acting to reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions,” the Lord Mayor said. “We have undertaken energy-efficiency upgrades at social, cultural and recreational facilities that Newcastle residents use every day, as well as council operational buildings.
“Newcastle Museum, as a key cultural facility and tourist attraction, was a prime site for an energy efficient upgrade, which is helping the council save money on electricity bills, reducing ongoing operational costs for this heritage site. We’re also undertaking significant street lighting upgrades for energy savings powering towards council’s goal to have 30% of its electricity generated from low-carbon sources by 2020.”
Alix Pearce, director of the Cities Power Partnership, Australia’s largest local government climate alliance, said that the range of climate solutions coming out of Australia’s councils was staggering.
“The local climate solutions on display at these awards are tangible proof that Australian communities are rising up to meet the challenges of climate change,” she said.
“From supporting local schools to save thousands on their power bills through solar energy through to developing Australia’s largest floating solar farm, Cities Power Partnership councils are leading the way with practical local climate solutions.”
“These local heroes are stepping up and getting the job done, in the face of continuing Federal climate inaction. It’s time to celebrate these quiet achievers, who are working at the climate frontline and helping their communities to drive down local greenhouse gas pollution.”
The Cities Power Partnership Awards celebrated outstanding work from local governments in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport and community advocacy, as well as individual climate champion awards.
FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS
Renewable Energy Achievement Award
Winner: Solar my School – Three Council Program from Randwick, Waverley & Woollahra Councils (New South Wales)
Energy Efficiency Achievement
Winner: Newcastle Museum Energy upgrade – City of Newcastle (New South Wales)
Sustainable Transport Achievement Award
Winner: Transition to Zero Emissions Vehicles Action Plan 2018-21 – ACT Government
Community Engagement Achievement Award
Winner: Floating solar farm – Lismore City Council (New South Wales)
Knowledge Sharing Award
Winner: South East NSW Councils buddy group (New South Wales)
CPP Ambassador Award
Winner: Clr Ken Keith, Mayor, Parkes Shire Council (New South Wales)
The Cities Power Partnership is a free national program created by the Climate Council that
celebrates and accelerates the pollution reduction and clean energy successes of Australia in
towns and cities.

City of Newcastle has taken out top honours for its work on the climate change frontline, at the inaugural Cities Power Partner Summit Awards.
The City took home the Cities Power Partnership Energy Efficiency Achievement award for the Newcastle Museum Energy Upgrade Project, which upgraded lighting in several sections of the building to maximise energy efficiency, saving thousands on power bills, in addition to a installing a 100kW solar panel.

The awards, held Thursday 18 October in Kiama NSW as part of the Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership National Summit, recognised the unsung work of climate heroes in local governments across the country, who are quietly transforming Australia’s energy landscape.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the city was thrilled to be recognised as energy efficiency leaders within Australia.
“This project is one that continues to build on our long track record of acting to reduce electricity consumption and carbon emissions,” the Lord Mayor said. “We have undertaken energy-efficiency upgrades at social, cultural and recreational facilities that Newcastle residents use every day, as well as council operational buildings.
“Newcastle Museum, as a key cultural facility and tourist attraction, was a prime site for an energy efficient upgrade, which is helping the council save money on electricity bills, reducing ongoing operational costs for this heritage site. We’re also undertaking significant street lighting upgrades for energy savings powering towards council’s goal to have 30% of its electricity generated from low-carbon sources by 2020.”
Alix Pearce, director of the Cities Power Partnership, Australia’s largest local government climate alliance, said that the range of climate solutions coming out of Australia’s councils was staggering.
“The local climate solutions on display at these awards are tangible proof that Australian communities are rising up to meet the challenges of climate change,” she said.
“From supporting local schools to save thousands on their power bills through solar energy through to developing Australia’s largest floating solar farm, Cities Power Partnership councils are leading the way with practical local climate solutions.”
“These local heroes are stepping up and getting the job done, in the face of continuing Federal climate inaction. It’s time to celebrate these quiet achievers, who are working at the climate frontline and helping their communities to drive down local greenhouse gas pollution.”
The Cities Power Partnership Awards celebrated outstanding work from local governments in the fields of renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport and community advocacy, as well as individual climate champion awards.
FULL LIST OF AWARD WINNERS
Renewable Energy Achievement Award
Winner: Solar my School – Three Council Program from Randwick, Waverley & Woollahra Councils (New South Wales)
Energy Efficiency Achievement
Winner: Newcastle Museum Energy upgrade – City of Newcastle (New South Wales)
Sustainable Transport Achievement Award
Winner: Transition to Zero Emissions Vehicles Action Plan 2018-21 – ACT Government
Community Engagement Achievement Award
Winner: Floating solar farm – Lismore City Council (New South Wales)
Knowledge Sharing Award
Winner: South East NSW Councils buddy group (New South Wales)
CPP Ambassador Award
Winner: Clr Ken Keith, Mayor, Parkes Shire Council (New South Wales)
The Cities Power Partnership is a free national program created by the Climate Council that
celebrates and accelerates the pollution reduction and clean energy successes of Australia in
towns and cities.

A $30 million windfall generated by the inaugural Newcastle 500 flowed through Newcastle’s local economy last year, according to an independent research centre’s analysis of mobile phone data, banking records and business transactions.
The Hunter Research Foundation Centre (HRFC) found the maiden race strengthened the city’s capacity to host major events and generated an estimated $30.1 million in gross revenue.

The analysis does not include the direct economic benefit or flow-on effects in neighbouring areas including Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, Maitland and Cessnock.
Councillors will consider the HRFC report, Newcastle 500 Supercars Event Economic and Non-economic Impact Assessment, commissioned by City of Newcastle, on Tuesday night.
Economic benefits in it include:
• $8.94 million in direct expenditure by visitors
• $9.71 million in the flow-on effects
• $4.97 million in direct local expenditure by Supercars
• $6.5 million in flow-on effects of Supercars Australia’s local spending
“This report confirms what many Novocastrians already knew – the inaugural Newcastle 500 was an outright economic success for the city, with $30 million in direct and indirect economic benefits,” Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said.
“Almost 83,000 visitors to the City enjoyed themselves in Newcastle East and Cooks Hill over the three days, accounting together with local attendees for the 192,000 figures previously reported.
“What’s new in this report is the banking data that shows Supercars fans spent up big, with the research demonstrating how the money flowed through the city.”
Visitor outlays were calculated based on transaction data from nine Australian banks.
As most visitors paid for their accommodation costs well in advance of the three-day event, this spend was not included in the report analysis. With it included, the direct visitor expenditure for overnight stays would be considerably higher than the $191 identified in the report.
Costs associated with Council’s multi-million dollar East End civil works program were also excluded on the basis that these scheduled works were brought forward several years to enable the Newcastle 500 to be staged in 2017.
The direct economic injection to local contractors and suppliers amounted to $4.97 million, with an additional $6.5 million in flow-on effects, while the study found 22 out of the 31 food and beverage outlets at the event were from the Newcastle local government area.
“While this research means we can now quantify the economic boost for the city, the advertising benefits from the phenomenal media coverage with regard to long-term tourism are harder to quantify, even though the value of coverage is estimated at $1million,” the Lord Mayor added.
“Mainstream media, the report notes, recorded an audience of 8,641,042 people and social media posts reached 630,000 users, so the race also brings with it enormous potential for tourism growth at a time when the city has never looked so good.
“We wanted to host the event to give the city an economic boost, promote it to the world and celebrate Novocastrian pride and I believe this report provides an emphatic endorsement of that decision.”
HRFC included as part of its analysis the results of a business impact survey commissioned by the Newcastle East Residents Group, which drew 243 responses from businesses inside and outside the event precinct. A range of people were interviewed as part of the study including opponents of the race and members of community groups.
The report identified a range of other benefits for the city, including:
• Familiarising local businesses with operating methods for large events
• 15,000 hours of local labour used by the event’s caterers
• 1,932 local workers allocated tickets
• 744 volunteers gained experience and promoted Newcastle
The total cost of the report including purchase of Telstra and major bank data was $156,000.

The scores are in and the results are official – The Hunter is home to five of Australia’s top restaurants, with the recently released national Good Food Guide awarding restaurants in Pokolbin, Mount View and Broke with hat-status.
Pokolbin was a standout, with Muse Restaurant receiving 2 hats, and Muse Kitchen and Restaurant Botanica achieving 1 hat respectively. Mount View’s Bistro Molines and Broke’s Margan Restaurant also received one hat.
The Guide of independent, anonymous reviews is written by a panel of trusted restaurant critics and recognises the best Australian restaurants nationally with ‘hats’, symbolised by a chef’s toque.
To secure a coveted spot in the Guide, restaurants in New South Wales and Victoria must score at least 14 out of 20, while all other states must score a minimum of 15.
To achieve a hat is a pinnacle of a chef’s career and a restaurant’s history, and the term ‘hatted’ has become embedded in the Australian lexicon.
More than 500 restaurants from across the country were reviewed for this year’s Guide, with 264 of these receiving hat status, ranging from one to three.
Only seven restaurants nationally achieved the top accolade of three hats, and they include Attica (VIC), Brae (VIC), Momofuku Seiobo (NSW), Minamishima (VIC), Quay (NSW), Restaurant Orana (SA) and Sixpenny (NSW).
The catalogue of influential Guide editors includes founding editors Claude Forell in Melbourne and Leo Schofield in Sydney – along with Terry Durack, Jill Dupleix and Matthew Evans – who have charted the growth of the restaurant industry in Australia, and helped to shape it.
It is this rich 39-year tradition that the 2019 Good Food Guide editor Myffy Rigby upholds, ensuring the Guide remains Australia’s pre-eminent restaurant bible.
“The second annual national Good Food Guide is a reflection of the thousands of voices that make Australia one of the most diverse and delicious places to eat in the world. The Guide is a celebration of the industry as a whole. Every one of the restaurants featured is a summation of all those moving parts. We recognise the hard work of all those Australian restaurants and everything they do to enrich the scene.”
The score breakdown for reviews and awarding of hats is:
 
14                    Good
1 hat               15 Very good
2 hats             16 Great
2 hats             17 Excellent
3 hats             18 Outstanding
3 hats             19 Incredible
3 hats             20 Perfection
 

A man has been charged following an investigation by Strike Force Trawler detectives into the alleged online procurement of a child for sex.
In July 2018, detectives from the Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad’s Child Exploitation Internet Unit (CEIU) began engaging online with a man from the Hunter region.
Police will allege in court that the man believed he was speaking with a 14-year-old girl and engaged in highly-sexualised conversations and made arrangements to meet with the child for sex.
Following extensive investigations, a 42-year-old man was arrested by strike force detectives in a shopping centre carpark at Salamander Bay, about 10am yesterday (Thursday 18 October 2018).
Shortly after the arrest, a search warrant was executed at a Tanilba Bay home, where investigators seized two laptops, and an electronic storage device.
The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station and charged with use carriage service to procure person under 16 years for sex.
He was refused bail to appear at Raymond Terrace Local Court later today (Friday 19 October 2018).
Investigations are continuing.
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.
Anyone with information about internet predators 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. We remind people they should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.