March 2023 – Page 2

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT NEEDED ON GENDERED VIOLENCE

Today’s release of the latest National Community Attitudes Towards Violence Against Women Survey (NCAS) shows that serious cultural change is needed to end violence against women.

The Australian National Research Organisation on Women Safety (ANROWS) has conducted the survey every four years since 2009. While attitudes towards family, sexual and domestic violence improved initially, today’s report shows attitudes have stalled and much more work needs to be done to overturn harmful stereotypes that drive gendered violence.

We need comprehensive respectful relationships education, more data on perpetration, and full funding for prevention and early intervention programs.

Greens leader in the Senate and spokesperson on women Senator Larissa Waters said:

“Community attitudes towards victim-survivors highlighted in today’s ANROWS survey show just how far we have to go in the fight against gendered violence.

“The fact that more than 30 per cent of respondents believe women in custody battles make up or exaggerate claims of violence is staggering, and a timely indicator of the need for the Family Law reforms being introduced by the government today.

“Misconceptions about where violence occurs perpetuate the issue and keep it hidden – 90 per cent of respondents agreed that violence against women is a national problem, but only 47 per cent believed it was a problem within their own suburb or town. But the evidence is clear: it is a problem in every suburb, in every town, and it is being perpetrated by people we know.

“The survey also helps to explain low rates of reporting. Is it any wonder that victim-survivors are reluctant to come forward when so many people openly disbelieve them, and when so many women report being re-traumatised by the justice system?

“Stopping violence against women will take systemic action to tackle root causes and transform harmful social norms, but it also requires adequate funding of the organisations that do the hard work on the frontlines of this epidemic.

“Funding for prevention programs, including Our Watch’s Respectful Relationships, would help embed a culture of gender equality and should be part of our national curriculum from early childhood education onwards.

“The ANROWS data shows far too many people do not know where to go when experiencing abuse. And we know that far too many people who do reach out to over-stretched services cannot get support because services simply cannot meet demand.

“The women’s safety sector has repeatedly said that it will take an investment of $1B per year to ensure no one seeking help is turned away. This is the absolute minimum Australians should expect.

“The Greens will continue to call for women’s safety to be a priority in the May budget. Everyone should read the ANROWS survey today and work in their homes, communities and workplaces to start positive conversations about respect and ending gendered violence.”

Works to start at Stockton’s Mitchell Street seawall

Work is set to commence in the coming weeks on construction of a buried protection structure at the southern end of the existing Mitchell Street seawall in Stockton.

The protection structure is the first of three planned structures that will shield vulnerable sections of Stockton’s coastline in the event of large swells, significantly reducing the chances of erosion and loss of public and private land.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said that she was looking forward to seeing this promised next stage of onshore works at Stockton underway.

“These works are an important part of City of Newcastle’s (CN) $27.5 million investment at Stockton since the adoption of our Coastal Management Plan in 2020, with $9.5 million invested so far,” Cr Nelmes said.

CN’s Executive Director City Infrastructure Joanne Rigby, said that the structure will consist of underground vertical concrete piles that extend from street level to 8.5m below ground. Once constructed, only the top of the round beams will be visible at ground level.

“The design of the structure considers its ability to address erosion from storm events, as well as long-term beach recession. It also considers the requirement to protect public assets at high-risk,” Ms Rigby said.

“We are also making progress on repairs to damage from past erosion events at the King Street breakwater and expect construction to be completed next month.”

CN has continued regular liaison with the Worimi Registered Aboriginal Parties to ensure current and future works respect the significance of the Stockton coastline to the Worimi people and protects their heritage.

The buried protection structures and emergency works complement the longer-term strategy of mass sand nourishment. CN has already undertaken significant work to understand the cause of erosion and beach recession, and gain community support for an evidence-based solution in close collaboration with the Stockton community.

The draft Extended Stockton Coastal Management Program (CMP) is in development and steps out an expanded list of management actions that support the long-term strategy of mass sand nourishment outlined in the 2020 Stockton CMP, and broadens the geographical area covered to include the northern end of Stockton Beach from Meredith Street to the Port Stephens Local Government Area boundary.

More information about the buried protection structure is available on our project information page.

Ordinary Council Meeting Tuesday 28 March 2023

Following is a summary of resolutions from the Ordinary Council meeting of Tuesday 28 March 2023. NB: it is not a full record of resolutions.

Lord Mayoral Minutes

NSW election results

A Lord Mayoral Minute was unanimously supported that acknowledged the election of Chris Minns as Premier and the NSW Labor Government following the NSW State Election held on 25 March 2023, and congratulated local Greater Newcastle and Hunter Members of Parliament on their re-election. It also supported the Minns Labor Government’s promise to reinstate the position of a dedicated Minister for the Hunter and committed to continuing our collaborative working relationship with the NSW Government, the NSW Opposition and Independent Members of the NSW Parliament for the benefit of the people of Newcastle.

City of Newcastle hosts world-class events

A Lord Mayoral Minute was supported that noted the increase in local visitation to Newcastle as a result of successful events held in the city in recent weeks. This included the Newcastle 500, during which City of Newcastle helped facilitate raising more than $40,000 for Got Your Back Sista and Nova for Women and Children. The Lord Mayoral Minute thanked the work of local businesses, City of Newcastle employees and the Newcastle community for their support and cooperation in hosting these successful events and promoting our beautiful city.

Ordinary business

Public exhibition of draft Delivering Newcastle 2040

Council voted unanimously to publicly exhibit the draft 2023-2024 Delivering Newcastle 2040 and draft 2023-2024 Fees and Charges for 28 days prior to the final consideration by Council.

Adoption of Special Business Rate Expenditure Policy

Council received a report of the public exhibition of the Special Business Rate Expenditure Policy and voted to adopt the updated policy. Council noted correspondence from BIA Chairs, and requested that the BIA facilitator, working with Ms Musumeci, organises combined resourcing for high pressure cleaning in all BIA areas.

Darby Street Streets as Shared Spaces – retention of infrastructure

Council voted to retain infrastructure installed for the Darby Street – Streets as Shared Spaces Trial between Bull and Queen Streets, Cooks Hill including existing traffic calming infrastructure and outdoor dining deck. Council will also place concept plans for upgraded traffic calming infrastructure at the southern and northern entries to the 30km/h zone on public exhibition.

Broadmeadow Place Strategy

Council voted unanimously to endorse the preparation of a draft Place Strategy for the Broadmeadow Regionally Significant Growth Area as identified in the Hunter Regional Plan 2041. A report to publicly exhibit the draft Broadmeadow Place Strategy will be presented to Council in late 2023.

37 Llewellyn Street, Merewether – right of way review

Council received a report on the investigation into the right-of-carriageway at 37 Llewellyn Street, Merewether and noted that the investigation is continuing. City of Newcastle is seeking support for a public access to be created through the Merewether Fire and Rescue Station. A formal complaint has been lodged with NSW Fair Trading about the professional conduct of the Private Certifier and a request has been made to the Minister for Fair Trading to investigate.

Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel (HCCRPP) – changes to planning panels

Council voted to appoint Cr Wood, Cr McCabe and Cr Church as additional alternate members of the HCCRPP, upon acceptance by the nominated councillors.

Executive monthly performance report

Council received the Executive Monthly Performance Report for February 2023.

Tender report – recyclable waste collection services and bin supply

Council voted unanimously to accept a new tender for recyclable waste collection services and mobile garbage bin supply.

Notices of Motion

Public Voice and Public Briefing Policy

Council voted against a notice of motion calling for updates the Public Voice and Public Briefing Policy to explicitly define that a Public Briefing shall not be made by a member of staff.

Requesting attendance data from Supercars

Council supported an amended notice of motion noting that the CEO of Supercars has committed to providing a detailed breakdown of the ticketing for the 2023 Newcastle 500, which will be provided to Councillors and the community to enable the Council to make a more informed decision on the economic impact for the city from hosting the Newcastle 500. This decision will only be required if the NSW Government indicates it intends to support the race’s continuation for another five years.

Funding for Trove

Council unanimously supported a notice of motion that acknowledged the importance of Trove as a national digital archive service, to record and access Australia’s history and culture. City of Newcastle will write to the Federal Minister for the Arts, Shadow Minister for the Arts, and the Federal Member for Newcastle calling for sustainable funding to ensure the continuation of free access to the Trove national database and upgrade of the digital archive systems of Trove.

Infrastructure contributions reform concerns

Council endorsed an amended notice of motion that welcomed the election of a Chris Minns Labor Government in NSW and thanked NSW Labor for its steadfast and consistent opposition of the former Liberal Government’s proposed unfair raiding and diversion of Council infrastructure contributions, which would have left councils and local communities worse off, and impacted Council’s ability to fund important local infrastructure required to support growth.

Late item

Determination of income taxation for councillors

Council resolved that Lord Mayor and Councillor fees be subject to income tax withholding under Part 2-5 of the Taxation Administration Act 1953 – sections 446-5 of Schedule 1, with effect from 1 July 2023.

COMMEMORATIVE MEDALLION TO MARK 50 YEARS SINCE THE END OF AUSTRALIA’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE VIETNAM WAR

Today, the Prime Minister and Minister for Veterans’ Affairs launched a commemorative medallion to honour those who served in the Vietnam War.

The medallion is a small but meaningful way to honour the service of Vietnam veterans and to recognise the sacrifice of those who never returned home and that of their families.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of Australia’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Some 60,000 Australians served in the Vietnam War, more than 3,000 were wounded and 523 tragically lost their lives. We must honour those who served and the families that support them.

The medallions are available for every veteran, and can be applied for by Vietnam War veterans, widows of veterans and other family members of veterans.

The launch of the medallions continues the Australian Government’s recognition of this significant anniversary throughout 2023, culminating in a national commemorative service on Vietnam Veterans’ Day, 18 August 2023.

For more details on the commemorative medallion, including how to apply, or for more information about the other commemorative events planned, visit the DVA website.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:

“This year, as we mark 50 years since the role of Australian troops in the hostilities in Vietnam came to a close, let us acknowledge your service and sacrifice.”

“Your experiences during and after the war are a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by those who have served our country and the debt of gratitude we owe each and every one of you.”

“These medallions are a small but meaningful way to honour your service – to recognise the sacrifice of those who never returned home, and of those who did, and endure the scars of service.”

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh said:

“This was a war that was at times contentious at home, and for some veterans their service not recognised as it should have been.

“To each and every one of our Vietnam veterans: We honour you. We thank you.

GREENS SECURE HIT ON COAL AND GAS IN SAFEGUARD DEAL

HARD CAP AND POLLUTION TRIGGER, BEETALOO AND OTHER 116 NEW COAL AND GAS PROJECTS ON THE ROPES

The Greens have negotiated significant changes to the Safeguard Mechanism legislation that will impact on coal and gas, including stopping many of the new coal and gas projects in the development pipeline, freezing low integrity offset projects and putting in place a declining hard cap on the scheme to ensure Australia’s actual (not net) pollution goes down. In light of these and a package of other significant amendments, the Greens will support the Safeguard Mechanism legislation and regulations.

In brief, the Greens’ secured amendments include:

A hard cap or ceiling on actual or absolute (gross) emissions, which won’t be able to exceed current pollution levels (140 MT per annum), and there will be a decreasing cap over time. Pollution will actually now go down, not up, and the coal and gas corporations can’t buy their way out of it with offsets. This puts a limit on coal and gas expansion in Australia. Actual pollution from safeguard entities was forecast to rise under Labor’s original safeguard, from about 140MT now to between 155-184MT in 2030.
A pollution trigger in the Safeguard Mechanism Bill that will require the Climate Change Minister to test a new or expanded project’s impact on the hard cap and net carbon Budgets. If the assessment finds that the project would contribute to exceeding the cap or Budget, the Minister must consult and recalibrate the rules (such as by limiting ACCUs, reducing the value of ACCUs or adjusting the decline rates of baselines) or impose conditions on new entrants. Using these wide-ranging powers, the Minister could set baselines at zero and ACCU allowance at zero, effectively stopping a project from proceeding. The Minister’s action or lack of action would be subject to legal enforcement. Approvals under the EPBC and advice from the Climate Change Authority would trigger the assessment as would assessment of emissions data and forecasts.
All Scope 1 emissions from the Beetaloo gas project will have to be net-zero with Scope 2 and 3 emissions referred to the Ministerial Energy Council. This will be a significant financial barrier in the way of the project proceeding.
All new gas fields for LNG export will need to be net zero CO2 from day one.
The agreement will significantly improve the integrity of ACCUs with a freeze on the most dubious offset class (Human Induced Regeneration) until they are subject to an independent audit.
The Bill will include a requirement for incentives for onsite abatement and to ensure facilities are encouraged to actually cut pollution.
Corporations will be required to justify their use of offsets if they use offsets for more than 30% of their baseline.
A review by the CCA in 2026-27 will look at the use of offsets and implementing measures to restrict their use if on-site abatement isn’t occurring to satisfactory levels.
The Powering the Regions fund will not be used to fund coal or gas projects.
The grant funding power the Liberal government used to subsidise fossil fuel projects will be changed in the Act to prevent funding for extracting coal and gas.
Increased methane monitoring, leading to greater coal and gas emissions reductions.
A Climate Change Authority-led sectoral emission reduction plans to make it harder for coal and gas projects to get financed and to support the litigation of greenwashing.
For the first time the Act will require reporting of all types of gases and offset generation use creating greater transparency and pressure on corporations to do more.

Greens Leader Adam Bandt MP said:

“Coal and gas have taken a huge hit. The Greens have stopped many of the 116 new coal and gas projects in the pipeline from going ahead, pollution will actually go down, and we’ve derailed the Beetaloo and Barossa gas fields.

“Coal and gas pollution was set to soar under Labor’s safeguard. The Greens have introduced a hard cap on emissions, meaning real pollution must actually come down and the coal and gas corporations can’t buy their way out of the cap with offsets. This puts a limit on coal and gas expansion in Australia. Pollution will now go down, not up, as it was set to under Labor.

“We’ve secured a pollution trigger that, for the first time in history, means new projects must be assessed for their impact on climate pollution and they can be stopped. Labor now has the power to stop coal and gas projects that would breach the pollution cap. Every new coal and gas project that gets approved from here on in is Labor’s direct responsibility.

“With our significant amendments, the Greens will be voting to pass the Bill and will back the regulations but the fight against all new coal and gas continues.

“In balance of power, the Greens have stopped many of the 116 coal and gas projects in the pipeline from proceeding, and now we’re coming after the rest.

“To everyone who is despairing about the future and wants real climate action, today you should have a spring in your step, because it shows we can take on the coal and gas corporations and win.

“The fight is not over, because in the middle of a climate crisis, Labor still wants to open more coal and gas.

“With a Senate willing to act, the only obstacle to stopping all new coal and gas in this Parliament is Labor.

“We will continue to push to strengthen the environment laws that will come before the Parliament next year and to fight fossil fuel subsidies in the budget. We will back the fights of communities right around the country who are fighting these coal and gas projects in the pipeline, including Scarborough and Narrabri. We will build a movement like this country has never seen to stop Labor opening the rest of the 116 coal and gas mines.”

Greens spokesperson for Resources and First Nations Senator Dorinda Cox said:

“The Beetaloo and Barossa projects have been derailed. There are serious questions raised about whether these climate bombs will be financially viable now, raising a red flag to investors pouring money into these projects.

“This is a big day for the Greens movement, but an even bigger day for the Traditional Owners and mob whose lands and waters are under threat from the climate bombs that are Barossa and Beetaloo projects. I have stood in solidarity with you, on-Country, and witnessed first hand how these companies and their projects would destroy your way of life.

“To the 8 Tiwi clan groups led by the Munupi clan, and the more than 60 native title holders that formed the Nurrdalinji Aboriginal Corporation, this is a moment you can share in. Free, Informed Prior Consent was never given before the government allowed your sacred sites, land and sea Country to be destroyed by fossil fuel companies.

“It’s the determination and perseverance of First Nations people, and with Greens in balance of power, we can hold this Labor Government accountable to engaging and working with mob and taking real action on climate change.

“This is an important first step, but our work is not over. We will continue to push the Government further and faster, and continue our campaign for no new coal and gas projects.”

Exhibition tells Australian military stories through tattoos

Stories of service life and sacrifice inked on the skin of current and former Australian military personnel have been made into a powerful photographic exhibition now on display at Newcastle Museum.

Curated by the Australian War Memorial, Ink in the Lines features the stories and tattoos of 22 veterans from across Australia. The 76 photographic portraits are the result of an Australian War Memorial photographic commission conducted in 2018.

Newcastle-Museum-director-Julie-Baird-with-Councillor-Carol-Duncan.JPG

Audio interviews played on screens within the exhibition help capture the raw emotion of each participant as they explain why they chose to commemorate and honour their service, or the service of loved ones, through the medium of tattooing.

Australian War Memorial senior curator Stephanie Boyle says she is thrilled to bring the touring exhibition to Newcastle and hopes it resonates with local audiences with the region’s strong military heritage.

“Behind every tattoo is a story. Ink in the Lines does what no other exhibition in Australia has done – it shares stories of Australia’s military veterans through their tattoos,” Ms Boyle said.

“Personal stories are the cornerstone of the exhibition. Every veteran who participated in the commission volunteered to share their experiences and motivation for getting inked. Some stories are painful, others inspiring, all are deeply personal.

“Through powerful images and stories, the exhibition provides an engaging and interactive platform for the examination and understanding of contemporary tattooing in today’s Defence Forces, set within the context of the broader history of tattooing in Australian military forces.”

Newcastle Councillor Carol Duncan said the exhibition evoked powerful emotions and provides a unique insight into the lived experience of Australia’s service personnel and their families.

“One can’t help but walk away from this exhibition with a renewed respect for what it’s like to be a veteran, and the personal toll it takes to serve Australia in the military,” Cr Duncan said.

“This is a very special exhibition to have here in Newcastle especially with upcoming Anzac Day commemorations. I encourage all Novocastrians to view this powerful free exhibition at the Museum.”

City of Newcastle Director of Museum, Archive, Libraries and Learning, Julie Baird, said touring exhibitions played an important role in Newcastle Museum’s programming.

“Ink in the Lines demonstrates the Museum’s commitment to providing quality exhibitions that appeal to a wide range of audiences and provide insight into a diverse range of subjects that help us understand our history and identity,” Ms Baird said.

“Tattoo art is an incredibly popular form of self-expression and creativity, which often has deeply personal and meaningful motivation. We’re honoured to be able to explore the stories behind these tattoos in this incredible exhibition, which is sure to attract visitors interested in the tattoos themselves as well as those with a more personal connection to the armed forces.”

Ink in the Lines is on exhibition until Sunday 4 June 2023. Newcastle Museum opens from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday through Sunday and seven days during the school holidays. Visit the Newcastle Museum website for more information.

Is Australia’s Constitution Under Threat? How the ‘Machinery’ Bill Could Change the Country Forever

In a devastating blow to Australians who value the integrity of our constitution, the Liberal, Labor and Greens party teamed up to pass the ‘machinery’ bill that is required to run a referendum on the Voice.

We were not surprised that the Labor party would stack the decks for their outrageous Voice proposals but we were absolutely gutted to see the Liberals roll over to allow Labor exactly what they wanted.

Passing this bill takes aim to destroy our constitution, and it wasn’t the only act of political bastardry in parliament house yesterday.

A group of Aboriginal Australians, who travelled to Canberra to make urgent representations opposing the Voice, were ignored by the major parties whilst the machinery bill was being voted on. 

Do you think any of the big party leaders showed these courageous Australians any attention? No.

This group of great Australians paid for their own flights; they were that keen to have their voices heard.

No leaders other than a handful of gutsy pollies, including Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts, showed any interest in listening to the proud Aussies give their perspective.

Do you think this delegation of brave Aussies got any media attention? No.

The media were more interested in covering the arrangements that have made the Liberals a sub-branch of the Labor party. Courtesy of the Liberals, the government has been provided with a fat, woke-left-wing slush fund of taxpayers’ money for a ‘civic’ education program as part of the referendum process.

We are sure ‘re-education’ camps are firmly on the menu for anyone who dares question the extremist left’s demands that Aboriginals swallow their shocking paternalism and neo-colonial posturing.

Apart from formalising their status as a sub-branch of the Labor Party, the Liberals also spent the day voting against amendments our Senators put forward to the referendum bill. The amendments would have saved Aussies $100mill by holding the vote on the same day as the federal election and inserting citizen-initiated referendums into the bill.

How cheeky of One Nation, trying to save tax-payers $100mil AND giving everyone a voice by turning the politician’s referendum process on its head and handing it over to the people.

Darby Street’s outdoor dining on the table to stay

Extended outdoor dining options could be here to stay on Newcastle’s renowned eat street following a successful six-month trial by City of Newcastle.

Councillors will vote next week to retain the popular raised outdoor dining deck installed along a section of Darby Street under the NSW Government’s Streets as Shared Spaces initiative.

Key features of the trial recommended to be retained include the raised outdoor dining deck, a pedestrian crossing adjacent to the Headphones Courtyard and the reduction of the speed limit to 30km/h.

Extensive consultation was undertaken with businesses, residents, and the community before and during the trial, which was designed to encourage increased visitation and trade along Darby Street after the impacts of COVID-19 while also improving pedestrian and cyclist safety.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said feedback from businesses and the community showed strong support for the improvements.

“In the first three months of the trial we saw a 67% increase in visitation, a 13% increase in cyclists using Darby Street, and average vehicle speeds north of Council Street were reduced from 42km/h to 30km/h,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Overall, most people (69%) who provided feedback in our online survey support retaining the trial infrastructure.

“This trial gave us a unique opportunity to try new things and test ideas for community spaces and we can take these learnings to other commercial areas across the Newcastle LGA.”

Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said he worked closely with a small number of businesses and residents who raised concerns about the loss of parking and noise impacts from the traffic calming infrastructure.

“During the trial we had some feedback that noise was being generated by speed humps at the southern entry of the 30km/h zone while others provided feedback about cyclist safety at the northern entry,” Cr Clausen said.

“Should the infrastructure be retained, these items would be addressed with a revised design for the traffic calming infrastructure, which would be placed on public exhibition in April for the community to review and comment on.

“We also heard that the community supported the continuation of the free, two-hour timed parking in the Queen Street carpark which was introduced to compensate for on-street parking losses.”

Council will consider the future of the trial infrastructure at next week’s Council meeting.

The trial was made possible with a $500,000 grant from the NSW Government through the Streets as Shared Spaces program (Round 2) and funding from the City of Newcastle’s Urban Centres Program.

Newcastle City Budget to deliver record infrastructure boost alongside second consecutive surplus

More than $137 million has been earmarked for investment into local facilities and infrastructure projects as part of a record Budget balancing community needs with a $6.9 million surplus.

The Council will place its 2023-24 Budget on public exhibition for community feedback next week.

It includes City of Newcastle’s largest annual capital works program to date, with almost 270 projects planned across the city during the next financial year.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said a key focus of this Budget is maintaining ongoing financial sustainability alongside the delivery of a high level of essential community services.

“Our list of projects extends across the city, with increased investments in community infrastructure, facilities and services that will help renew and reinvigorate Newcastle as we continue to build an inclusive, liveable, and sustainable city,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Infrastructure renewal is a priority to deliver everyday benefits to all Novocastrians, with $26.5 million to be invested in roads, bridges, footpaths and community buildings including $7.5 million for our citywide road resurfacing program.

“Almost $20 million will be spent delivering new and improved parks, playgrounds, sporting and aquatic facilities, which provide important opportunities for the community to engage in active and healthy lifestyles.

“This includes $5 million towards the first stage of the landmark all-abilities playground and water park at Foreshore Park and construction of the reimagined playground and amenities upgrade at Hamilton’s much-loved Gregson Park, as well as $7.5 million to improve inland pools and ocean baths across the city, including the continued revitalisation of the Newcastle Ocean Baths and delivery of the Lambton Park Swimming Centre grandstand upgrade in time for the new swim season.

“These projects are fundamental to improving the way we work and live, as well as ensuring we continue to be an attractive destination for visitors and investment.”

Other Budget highlights include:

$22.5 million towards the expansion of Newcastle Art Gallery
$14 million to complete the remediation of the former landfill site at Astra Street in Shortland
$13.5 million for environmental sustainability, including $1.5 million towards street tree planting
$8 million towards planning and protecting our coastline, estuaries and wetlands
$6.9 million for urban and city centre revitalisation projects including the next stage of the East End upgrade in the Hunter Street Mall, and Local Centre upgrades at New Lambton
$5 million will be invested in cycleways and transport options
$4.9 million on stormwater upgrades to address localised flooding
$4.7 million towards the construction of an organics facility to compost food and garden waste and a materials recovery facility to increase our capabilities for recycling and reuse of waste products
$4.2 million towards the replacement of the Boscawen Street Bridge to reduce the risk of flooding in the Wallsend CBD
$2 million to continue works to beautify and improve access along Bathers Way.

City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said prudent financial management will deliver a second consecutive surplus budget without compromising our capacity to maintain services and meet community commitments.

“City of Newcastle is not immune to the unprecedented levels of inflationary pressures and high costs of living impacting our community,” Mr Bath said.

“However, through prudent financial management, we will improve our budget position to a $6.9 million surplus in 2023–2024. Our current and future budget surpluses will provide funding for unforeseen and future projects in our city.”

LABOR’S FRESH START PLAN FOR THE ECONOMY & JOBS

Central to our future prosperity is the growth of a NSW economy that works in the interests of people – not the other way around.

The Liberals and Nationals have sold off over $90 billion worth of public assets but failed to set our economy up for the future. Since they came to office 12 years ago, the number of people in NSW finishing apprenticeships each year has more than halved; the state has lost 42,000 manufacturing jobs; and NSW gross debt has increased by five times to over $128 billion.

And by selling off so many public assets, our budget has lost billions of dollars in dividends that were previously reinvested back into essential services like schools and hospitals.

Labor’s Fresh Start Plan will build a strong economy for the future and provide jobs growth and skills to fulfill the ambitions of the people of NSW.

We’ll halt the privatisation of public assets, back local manufacturing – starting by building the Tangara replacement trains right here, back local businesses with a NSW Jobs First Commission, and address the skills gap through TAFE Manufacturing Centres of Excellence.