Category: Newcastle News

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a girl reported missing near Newcastle.

Shayarnika Brown, aged 13, was last seen at a home on Sandgate Road, Wallsend, about 11am on Saturday 27 April 2024. 

Unable to be located since, she was reported missing to officers attached to Newcastle City Police District, about today (Tuesday 30 April 2024). 

Police and family hold concerns for Shayarnika’s welfare, due to her young age. 

Shayarnika is described as being of Aboriginal/ Torres Strait Islander appearance, of medium build, about 165cm tall, with long brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black Tupac jumper and black torn jeans. 

She is known to utilise public transport and frequents railways stations in Sydney and Albert Street, Werrington. 

Anyone with information in relation to Shayarnika’s whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Passmore Oval at Wickham has become a venue of choice for rugby union players and cricketers thanks to a $2.6 million collaboration with City of Newcastle.

The redevelopment of the grandstand has delivered dedicated female home and away changerooms for the Hamilton Hawks Rugby Union Club (HHRUC) and Hamilton-Wickham Cricket Club, as well as their rivals.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes joins CN staff, President of Hamilton Hawks Rugby Union Club Lesa Mason, Hawks players and officials, Hamilton-Wickham Cricket Club secretary Paul Rodgers and EJE Architecture representatives at the new-look Passmore Oval grandstand.The changerooms are housed within a new two-storey building constructed at the back of the existing grandstand, which also provides accessible amenities and viewing areas for both Passmore Oval and its adjacent Hawkins Oval.

A community meeting room, shared exercise training area and storage rooms were also included in the upgrade.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the project aligns with City of Newcastle’s 10-year Strategic Sports Plan.

“We’re aiming to provide facilities that support universal access and meet the future demands of the Newcastle community,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Specially designed female changerooms will be housed on the ground floor of the new building and the upper level will feature an accessible balcony overlooking Hawkins Oval.

“The redevelopment ensures the spectator facilities cater to all members of our community with the existing grandstand also featuring a lift and viewing space for wheelchair users overlooking Passmore Oval.”

HHRUC successfully secured $1 million in funding from the NSW Government’s Greater Cities Sport Facility Fund to go towards the project, with City of Newcastle providing more than $1.6 million.

Club President Lesa Mason said the new facilities mean women’s teams will no longer have to play second fiddle to their male counterparts.

“We have a vision, alongside Rugby Australia, to see more women and girls in rugby. We want to provide opportunities for women teams to be established across all levels,” Ms Mason said.

“Participation rates in women’s rugby are booming and these purpose-built dressing rooms are certain to encourage more girls to get involved.

“Our men’s Premier One side is already the most successful team since the turn of the century, winning nine premierships, and these improvements can only help make it even more formidable.”

Minister for Sport Steve Kamper said the NSW Government understands the vital role community sport plays in keeping people healthy, active and connected.

“This investment will deliver well-designed, new and improved sport facilities that will allow increased participation across all sporting codes,” Minister Kamper said.

“The delivery of fit for purpose change rooms enables women and girls of all ages to feel comfortable, safe and welcome.”

Hamilton-Wickham secretary Paul Rodgers said the redevelopment will provide great benefits for the cricket club.

“We were one of the four original clubs in the women’s T20 competition when it started in 2019 so it’s great our players will now have their own changeroom,” Mr Rodgers said.

“The accessible viewing areas will encourage more spectators of all ages and abilities to come and watch men’s and women’s games on both Passmore and Hawkins Ovals.

“The other upgrades will also allow Passmore to become a key venue for hosting major national tournaments, matches and regional carnivals”.

City of Newcastle (CN) is leading the way in gender equity, with recent data showing its employees experience almost no gender pay gap. 

Workplace Gender Equality Agency data on average weekly earnings concluded that the national pay gap between the earnings of women and men is nearly 22 per cent. In comparison, a recent assessment of CN salaries showed there is no significant difference for Council employees – in fact, female employees earn marginally more on average than their male counterparts. 

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said it is important to acknowledge this achievement ahead of May Day on 1 May, a day traditionally celebrated by the Australian workers’ movement after a long struggle for their right to an eight-hour day. 

“City of Newcastle has led the way with progressive benefits and conditions for many years now, proving our continuing commitment to inclusion, diversity and equity,” Cr Nelmes said. 

“We were one of the first councils in NSW to include domestic violence leave provisions back in 2018. This was alongside a range of other flexible and female-friendly working conditions such as miscarriage leave as part of our industry-leading Enterprise Agreement.  

“Our continual shift towards pay parity has challenged the rest of the Local Government sector to consider how they too can do better. At CN we listen to what our workers want, and we are proud this May Day of our status as a progressive and female-friendly enterprise.” 

CN CEO Jeremy Bath said the equitable outcome achieved for local government employees statewide should be celebrated. 

“City of Newcastle is a leading organisation when it comes to eliminating the gender pay gap,” Mr Bath said. 

“The reasons for this good result are many. We have built a culture at CN where we focus on the team rather than the individual, and where excellence is rewarded rather than gender, tenure, or an ability to negotiate.  

“Our Enterprise Agreement, developed in partnership with unions, was most recently approved by our employees in 2022 and is something we know sets us apart as an employer.  

“Our challenge now is to continue to strive for gender equality within our organisation and to help support the development and excellence of all our employees.” 

United Services Union (USU) Organiser Luke Hutchinson said the recent pay equity data shows how the USU’s long history of delivering improved pay and conditions for all has made a huge impact at CN. 

“The USU is very pleased that the conditions secured in the City of Newcastle Enterprise Agreement have ensured there are no reported gender pay gaps between any workers at the City of Newcastle,” Mr Hutchinson said. 

“This groundbreaking agreement not only acknowledges but actively incorporates socially progressive conditions. These include vital provisions such as access to miscarriage leave, improved parental leave, enhanced workplace flexibility, and family and domestic violence leave.  

“By fostering these conditions, we ensure workplace protection and facilitate optimal service delivery for our vibrant community. 

“Establishing a uniform classification framework that ensures fair remuneration and equitable structuring of qualifications and skills was incredibly important to the USU.  

“Notably, this framework ensures that traditionally female-dominated professional sectors, like Libraries and Early Childhood Education, are directly aligned with other professions such as engineering or accounting.” 

A teenage girl will face court today charged with murder following the death of a girl at Lake Macquarie yesterday.

About 3.45pm (Monday 29 April 2024), emergency services responded to reports of a stabbing at a home on Thurston Street, Boolaroo, approximately 20km south-west of Newcastle.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated a 10-year-old girl for multiple stab wounds; however, she died at the scene.

Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District arrested a 17-year-old girl at the home before she was taken to Belmont Police Station

A crime scene was established and local detectives with the assistance of the State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad commenced an investigation under Strike Force Upstream.

The teenage girl has since been charged with murder (DV) and refused bail to appear at a children’s court today (Tuesday 30 April 2024).

A girl has been fatally stabbed in the state’s Hunter region.

About 3.45pm today (Monday 29 April 2024), emergency services responded to reports of a stabbing at a home on Thurston Street, Boolaroo, approximately 20km west of Newcastle.

NSW Ambulance paramedics treated a 10-year-old girl at the scene for multiple stab wounds; however she died at the scene.

Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District arrested a 17-year-old girl at the home, and she was taken to Belmont Police Station and is currently assisting with inquiries.

Both girls are believed to be known to one another.

A crime scene has been established as investigations continue.

No further information is available at this stage.

A girl missing from Newcastle has been located safe and well.

The 14-year-old was last seen at an address on Church Street, Newcastle, about 11.40am yesterday (Saturday 27 April 2024).

When she was unable to be located or contacted, she was reported missing to officers attached to Newcastle City Police District who commenced inquiries to locate her.

Following inquiries, a geotargeted message and an appeal for assistance, she was located in Newcastle today (Sunday 28 April 2024).

City of Newcastle (CN), the University of Newcastle and FAUNA Research Alliance have joined forces to investigate ways to protect Squirrel Gliders in the Lower Hunter.

The marsupial is at risk of local extinction due to habitat loss, damage and fragmentation, while also contending with heat stress, vehicle collisions and predation by introduced species.

Cr Elizabeth Adamczyk joins the University of Newcastle’s Dr Ryan Witt, Sam Hayley and Oliver Brynes at Richley Reserve as part of the Squirrel Glider research project.Intensive monitoring by a University of Newcastle team has confirmed the presence of Squirrel Gliders in Blackbutt Reserve and Jesmond Bushland, with a thermal drone detecting body heat signatures of the animals hidden in the canopy.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the collaborative research project will evaluate the abundance, habitat use and genetics of the threatened species across the two bushland reserve systems.

“Research and monitoring can inform long-term conservation management to support viable Squirrel Glider populations and prevent local extinction,” Cr Nelmes said.

Councillor Elizabeth Adamczyk said our Newcastle Environment Strategy, which aims to protect and regenerate natural systems, will contribute to long term conservation outcomes for the Squirrel Glider.

“Squirrel Gliders keep our bushland healthy by feeding on plants and invertebrates. They help with pollination of our Eucalypt forests and regulate the number of insects such as caterpillars, cicadas and beetles,” Cr Adamczyk said.

“Newcastle’s bushland areas are simply an invaluable refuge for our fauna, including our threatened species, and are irreplaceable in light of the documented biodiversity emergency we are facing locally, nationally and internationally.”

Squirrel GliderWildlife conservation scientist Dr Ryan Witt from the University of Newcastle, who is leading the research effort, said Squirrel Gliders are one of the city’s last remaining threatened marsupials.

“Importantly, our research uses multiple monitoring methods, including nest box monitoring, pipe trapping, thermal drone surveys and genetic analysis to develop a baseline understanding of the status of the Squirrel Glider populations living in Blackbutt and Jesmond bushland,” Dr Witt said.

“Over time, it will be possible to evaluate the trajectory of the populations. Our team has already detected 19 males and 18 females living across the two reserves. 

“We have not observed Squirrel Gliders moving across major road structures, including between the east and west portions of Jesmond bushland, and between Blackbutt and Jesmond. 

“This highlights the importance of identifying points within the environment in which structures like rope bridges could be installed, which are likely to be required to maintain the populations genetic diversity and prevent local extinction.”

As part of the Natural Connection program the first of CN’s Squirrel Glider events will take place on Thursday 2 May when CN staff and University of Newcastle researchers hold an evening information session at Wallsend Library to share details of the Squirrel Glider research project.

Other ways residents can help include planting Squirrel Glider food trees and shrubs, keeping cats inside at night, leaving water out for local wildlife in hot weather and calling 13000 WIRES or Hunter Wildlife Rescue on 0418628483 if they find injured wildlife.

For more information about the information session visit whatson.newcastle.nsw.gov.au

Work will begin next month on the delivery of a new kiosk and accessible public toilets in Newcastle’s popular Harbour Foreshore precinct.

Councillors voted unanimously last night to accept a tender for the project, which is valued at more than $3 million and will include unisex ambulant toilets, a parent’s change room, and a changing places facility that provides suitable facilities for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.

An artist’s impression of the accessible amenities building and kiosk to be built at Foreshore Park.

The project also includes space for a future kiosk and will commence in May with the removal of the existing playground to pave the way for the construction of the amenities.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the new amenities building is an essential step in delivering the adopted Harbour Foreshore Masterplan.

“The accessible amenities and future kiosk will complement other elements of the Harbour Foreshore Masterplan and enrich the park that Novocastrians and visitors know and love,” Cr Nelmes said.

“These early works will help realise the full potential of our adopted Masterplan for our premier city park and major event space, creating a drawcard destination for locals and visitors from across the region to enjoy whilst connecting our city with our harbour’s edge.”

The centrepiece of the Masterplan will be Livvi’s Place, an inclusive regional playground and waterplay area, designed in consultation with the community and Touched by Olivia, a charity dedicated to the delivery of inclusive playspaces across Australia.

Once completed, the playground area will have a distinctly Newcastle character and pay tribute to the city’s Aboriginal heritage. The precinct will also have a waterplay area unique to Newcastle.

Extensive tree planting and landscaping will be carried out throughout the precinct as part of the broader masterplan to significantly increase shade canopy and create greener public spaces.

The amenities project is supported by the Newcastle Port Community Contribution Fund.

The 2024 Hunter region Memory Walk & Jog is nearly here with the event taking place on Sunday 12 May at Speers Point Park, Speers Point.

Dementia Australia’s largest fundraising event hopes to attract thousands of people across Australia to help raise more than $2 million in support of people living with dementia. Funds raised at our upcoming event in the Hunter will help advance the work of Dementia Australia which delivers invaluable support, education and resources for people living with dementia, their families and carers. 

Memory Walk & Jog is about being part of the community and feeling supported. We are in this together, which is why participants can walk, jog or run and select from a 2km walk, an 8km walk or jog, or the 8km timed run.

Registrations for the Hunter Memory Walk & Jog are still open and we’d love to see as many people as possible walking, jogging, or running at Speers Point Park. It’s a great day out, raising money and awareness for such an important cause.