Appeal to locate man missing from Morisset

Police are appealing for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Newcastle area.

Codie Sams, aged 32, was last seen in Morisset, about 4pm on Friday 13 March 2026.

When he was unable to be contacted or located, Police were notified and commenced inquiries into his whereabouts.

Police and family hold concerns for Codie as he requires regular medication.

Codie is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, of medium build, with short blond/brown hair, a similar coloured beard and moustache and has a tattoo on his right hand.

He was last seen wearing a green hoodie, green pants and black shoes.

Codie is known to frequent the Belmont and Newcastle areas.

Further humanitarian assistance for Lebanon

Australia will provide an additional $5 million for lifesaving assistance to civilians impacted by the ongoing conflict in Lebanon, with a focus on the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.

The recent escalation in the conflict has led to a significant deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Lebanon.

We are seeing increasing and widespread displacement, with families in desperate need of essential food and medical care. More than one million people have already fled their homes, including over 200,000 children.

Australia’s assistance will be delivered by trusted partners:

  • $3 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide emergency food assistance 
  • $2 million to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for nutrition assistance, access to water and health services

This latest funding brings Australia’s humanitarian assistance for civilians affected by the conflict in Gaza and Lebanon to over $135 million since October 2023.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong:

“We know this is a distressing time for Australians in Lebanon and for the Australian-Lebanese community here at home thinking of their family members and loved ones.

“We are gravely concerned by the expansion of the conflict into Lebanon, the loss of life and the displacement of more than one million civilians.

“Australia condemns Hizballah for its ongoing strikes on Israel and for dragging Lebanon into conflict.

“Australia calls for all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law and for the protection of civilians and aid workers. A major Israeli ground offensive into Lebanon will only exacerbate the worsening humanitarian situation in the country.”

International Development Minister Anne Aly:

“The escalating conflict in Lebanon is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation. Australia’s humanitarian support will provide emergency food, water and health assistance for displaced civilians across Lebanon.

“At this time of crisis, Australia is working closely with the international community and our humanitarian partners to support the people of Lebanon through the provision of lifesaving aid.

“Humanitarian personnel must also be protected, consistent with international humanitarian law. Aid workers save lives. Their dedication to improving the lives of others should not cost them their own lives.”

NT Greens call for 25% gas export tax to fund disaster recovery

NT Greens today have called for fossil fuel corporations to contribute to the projected $100M cleanup costs of the NT’s ongoing flood crisis.

Addressing negotiations between NT and federal governments over the mounting repair bill, Jonathan Parry from the NT Greens warned that gas production fuels climate disruption, and polluters should pay for their impacts.

“The unfolding compounding weather systems challenging Territorians this month are precisely the chaotic impact experts warn will become more frequent and intense as carbon pollution mounts,” said Mr Parry.

The CLP Finocchiaro government has this week announced the establishment of a $100 million fund for flood recovery, to be funded entirely from the NT budget.

“It’s essential that we invest in climate resistance and disaster repair but ordinary Territorian households and small businesses shouldn’t be footing the bill.” 

“Big gas producers like Inpex and SANTOS are profiting massively from exploitation of resources that literally fuel climate chaos. Territorians know these international fossil fuel companies don’t pay their way, and now we find ourselves with a growing damage bill from climate impacts.”

“That’s why we’re calling on the Finocchiaro CLP government to fund disaster recovery by making the gas industry pay their fair share.”

Last week in the Commonwealth Parliament, the Australian Greens forced a vote in the Senate on a bill to introduce a 25% export tax on gas. But Labor, the Coalition, and One Nation all voted against the measure.

“The Greens are the only party in Australia willing to take on the big fossil fuel giants. Labor, the Coalition and One Nation have shown again and again that they’re more worried about their big corporate donors and the cushy jobs they promise than the interests of everyday Australians.”

“The Greens oppose plans for massive new fossil-fuel industrialisation at Middle Arm, and the expansion of onshore and offshore fracking production.”

“Those already in operation should be made to come to the table and contribute to recovery costs.”

Labor’s plan won’t stop petrol price gouging

Labor’s so-called crackdown on petrol corporations will do nothing to rein in petrol prices, and won’t stop corporations using the cover of war to price gouge, the Greens say.

“Labor’s proposal won’t stop petrol companies price gouging,” Greens Economic Justice Spokesperson Senator Nick McKim said.

“It will only increase penalties for lying about why prices are rising, while doing nothing to actually stop prices rising.”

“Australians are being slugged at the bowser, and the Government’s response is simply fiddling at the margins.”

“Corporations are using the war as cover for price rises across the economy, so the government’s response needs to be economy wide.”

“The Greens pressured Labor into cracking down on supermarket price gouging, but Labor is now sitting back and allowing price gouging without consequence.”

“If price gouging laws are good enough for supermarkets, they should apply across the entire economy.”

“Labor’s piecemeal response means that Australians will pay higher prices than they should right across the economy.”

“The coming inflation spike won’t stop at petrol. We already know that fertiliser costs are going up, which will flow through to farmers and food prices.”

“We need economy-wide anti price gouging laws so corporations can’t use the war as cover to boost profits. The Greens have already drafted a Bill that would do this.”

Albanese Government immigration failures put community safety at risk

The Albanese Government has put community safety at risk by granting a visa to a convicted murderer who had been rejected four times under the former Coalition Government, before going on to succeed in the High Court this week and strip away key monitoring safeguards for the dangerous NZYQ cohort.

Within months of the Albanese Government’s election in 2022, this individual was granted a visa despite repeated refusals under the former Coalition Government.

The contrast is stark – where the Coalition acted to keep a dangerous individual out of Australia, Labor overruled those decisions and gave this murderer a visa.

Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Senator Jonno Duniam said the case exposed a serious failure of judgment by the Albanese Government.

“Labor is handing out visas to murderers who should never have been granted one in the first place – showing a complete disregard for community safety,” Senator Duniam said.

Senator Duniam said this failure sits alongside a pattern of legal incompetence, with the Government losing three major High Court cases – NZYQ (2023), YBFZ (2024) and EGH19 (2026).

“Three times Labor claimed its laws were sound. Three times the High Court has disagreed. Each failure has weakened safeguards and left Australians less safe.”

Reports confirm the individual went on to reoffend after being granted a visa.

“This is exactly what happens when a Government ignores warnings and lowers standards – Australians are put at risk.”

“Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke needs to explain to Australians what safeguards are now in place and assure communities that they are being protected. Because at the moment, we have heard nothing from the Government about what they will do next.”

Councils collaborate on joint tender as plans for new FOGO service move forward

City of Newcastle and Port Stephens Council have joined forces to progress the development of a new kerbside collection service designed to reduce the amount of food waste ending up in landfill.

The neighbouring councils issued a joint tender last year for the processing of food and garden organics (FOGO) at a third-party facility, as part of plans to roll out a kerbside FOGO service in mid-2027.

The preferred tenderer will be considered by both Councils at their respective Council meetings next week.

City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said while each council would run its FOGO service independently, the collaborative approach to the tender took advantage of the available economies of scale to secure a better outcome for both communities.

“We are committed to delivering waste and recycling services that are responsible, environmentally sustainable, and commercially feasible, now and into the future,” Mr Bath said.

“While both Newcastle and Port Stephens currently accept garden organics as part of their kerbside collections, we are working towards the introduction of a new FOGO service in each local government area mid next year.

“This will allow both councils to meet the requirements of the NSW Government’s Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy well ahead of the statewide mandate for councils to implement a FOGO collection service by 2030.

“Collaborating on this joint tender with Port Stephens Council is a great outcome for both communities, putting aside local government boundaries to reduce duplication, enhance the competitiveness of the bid process and deliver strategic, operational and financial benefits.”

Port Stephens Council General Manager Tim Crosdale said we’re excited about this step towards implementing FOGO across Port Stephens.

“Providing a joint solution to support the introduction of FOGO will help us accelerate our progress toward state targets, reduce costs for our community and deliver a sustainable waste management service for the Port Stephens community,” Mr Crosdale said. 

City of Newcastle currently receives around 21,000 tonnes of garden organics and Port Stephens collects around 7,000 tonnes, which is transferred to at Summerhill Waste Management Centre each year before being transported to an external site to be processed into compost.

Collectively, the new FOGO services are expected to divert an additional 10,000 tonnes of food waste from landfill annually, while also reducing the methane emissions produced when food breaks down in landfill.

Managing Director of Waste Services David Witherdin said the introduction of FOGO aligns with City of Newcastle’s long-term strategy to manage the city’s waste.

“We’re implementing a range of waste management, recycling and recovery initiatives to cater for the needs of our city’s growing population,” Mr Witherdin said.

“This includes planning for the development of the next landfill cell at Summerhill, which has recently commenced, and working towards the implementation of the new weekly FOGO service, which meets the expectations of our community, who are supportive of measures to divert waste from landfill.”

GST grants formula should be simple, predictable and transparent

The Minns Labor Government is proposing wholesale change to the annual GST carve-up that continues to rip off the people of New South Wales.

The urgent need for reform has been highlighted by the Commonwealth Grants Commission’s decision to hand NSW its lowest GST relativity share on record.

Last week’s decision will see NSW, Australia’s largest state, receive $1.4 billion less GST revenue than Victoria, despite having 1.5 million more residents.

The NSW share of the GST pool has now fallen to 82 cents in the dollar in 2026-27, down from 86 cents in 2025-26, and 92.4 cents in 2023-24.

This decreasing rate of relativity is estimated to have cost NSW $8.6 billion over the past four years. That could have funded:

  • Around 13,500 more registered nurses in the NSW public hospital system, or
  • Around 14,500 more teachers over four years.

The current distribution calculation is complex and opaque. This not only leads to unpredictable variations for state budgets but also produces unreasonable distributions.

The Minns Labor Government is proposing a fairer way forward.

The NSW submission to the Productivity Commission Inquiry proposes an equal per capita distribution of GST grants, with top-ups funded by the Australian Government from outside the GST pool.

An equal per capita distribution would remove complexity, result in a higher level of transparency and eliminate any possible drag from the current system on the productive capacity of the Australian economy.

If GST was shared on an equal per capita basis, it’s estimated NSW would receive an additional $3.2 billion next financial year.

If broad consensus cannot be reached on equal per capita distribution, NSW also proposes an alternate model that returns to the pre-2018 equalisation arrangements from 2030-31, with several modifications:

  • The introduction of a relativities safety net floor of 0.50 funded by the Australian Government. This is a reduction from the current 0.75 floor. This would ensure there is a fair distribution to all states of any windfall revenue flowing to only one state.
  • Early notification of likely distribution changes through the Commonwealth Grants Commission issuing four-year relativity forecasts.

These modifications will address factors that drove the changes to GST in 2018 and will reduce the negative impact of horizontal fiscal equalisation on the productivity of the Australian economy.

Treasurer Daniel Mookhey said:

“The current system for carving up the GST is busted. NSW carries the Federation all by itself.

“Some of the richest and wealthiest states aren’t doing their bit to help smaller states and territories like the ACT, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

“Even worse, NSW taxpayers have seen more of their money put to work fixing the budgets of Western Australia and Victoria, than their own.

“The whole of the Federation would be better off if we allocated the GST by population share, with the Federal Government using their balance sheet to prop up the smaller jurisdictions.

“That is what we are arguing for. But we are also presenting a compromise proposal to push for change.

“Change like this won’t be quick. But I’m glad that since we launched this campaign every state and territory, except Western Australia, has slammed this broken system. “

Train manufacturing jobs coming back to the Hunter

Almost 40 years since the Tangara trains were built in Newcastle, the work to extend their life is coming back to the Hunter, with the Minns Labor Government establishing two new production lines at the rail facility in Cardiff.

This investment will create around 100 new jobs and 20 apprenticeships in the Hunter, rebuilding the train manufacturing workforce after the former Liberal-National Government ended passenger train manufacturing in the region in 2013 and prioritised overseas manufacturers. 

The $447 million Tangara Life Extension program will extend the life of 55 eight-carriage trains by over a decade by replacing internal cladding, the computer operating system, installing more accessible emergency help points, emergency door release, passenger visual displays, upgrades to the passenger address system and CCTV.

The two new production lines in the Hunter, in addition to the existing three lines at Auburn and Flemington, will increase the pace of train upgrades from 12 per year to 20. This increased capacity means more upgraded Tangara trains will be on the network sooner.

The 100 new jobs and 20 apprenticeships in the Hunter brings the total number of jobs on the Tangara Life Extension program to 320. 200 people including apprentices are already working on the program at Auburn and Flemington.

This investment in local skills will help develop the workforce that will build the new Tangara fleet in NSW, which will begin procurement by 2027 and meet the 50 per cent local manufacturing target as part of the Future Fleet Program.

The life extension program is part of the Government’s focus on improving rail reliability in response to the Independent Rail Review.

The Tangaras are some of the oldest rolling stocks and refurbished carriages will help to reduce maintenance faults. 

To date, four Tangara trains are undergoing upgrades with the first train now in the network undergoing dynamic testing activities before it re-enters service on the network.

Minister for Transport John Graham said:

“I lived in Newcastle when it was a proud train building city. We’re now bringing train manufacturing jobs back to the Hunter, the home of the original Tangara fleet.

“The former government sent Hunter jobs offshore because of their obsession with buying trains overseas. Anywhere but NSW, that was their policy on transport manufacturing jobs.

“This investment accelerates the life extension of our Tangara fleet while creating real jobs and skills development in the Hunter region.

Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley said:

“The people of Newcastle built these trains more than 35 years ago, and it’s only right that the Hunter is once again at the heart of this work. We’re truly a proud train manufacturing town.

“But this is about more than upgrading trains. It’s about creating secure jobs, training apprentices and giving local families confidence that opportunity exists right here in our region.

“We’re backing Hunter workers and making sure the skills and industries that built this region continue to thrive into the future.”

Minister for Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said:

“Almost 40 years after the Tangara trains were first built in Newcastle, it is fantastic to see this work returning to the Hunter.

“This is what rebuilding public transport capability in NSW looks like – more skilled jobs in the Hunter, more apprenticeships and more work being done here at home.

“After years of offshoring and neglect, we are rebuilding the workforce and capability NSW needs for the future.”

Minister for Domestic Manufacturing and Government Procurement Courtney Houssos said:

“This is a key step as we rebuild our domestic manufacturing capability and turn around 12 years of offshoring by the previous Liberal-National Government.

“We know that for every one job in manufacturing there are a further 3.5 in the supply chain, and that’s why we want our procurement dollars creating jobs here in NSW.

“We want to better leverage our precious procurement dollars through projects like this so we can maximise our support for workers and industries here in NSW, not on the other side of the world.”

Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery said: 

“The two lines to be added to this facility are also adding new jobs and apprenticeships, offering great opportunities for locals. 

“There will be cost savings associated with the acceleration of the program of work and by opening up these additional lines, the project will be finished sooner than previously forecast. 

“That means the benefits of this initiative will be felt far beyond Wallsend.” 

Sydney Trains Chief Executive Matt Longland said:

“The Tangara Life Extension Program is the most comprehensive refurbishment of its kind ever undertaken by Sydney Trains.

“Our teams in Sydney and soon, in the Hunter are carrying out critical system upgrades, modernising on‑board technologies and improving safety and accessibility features to bring these trains in line with contemporary standards.”

Minns Labor Government boosts Aboriginal-led heart research to drive improved health outcomes

The Minns Labor Government is investing more than $4 million in Aboriginal-led research projects which aim to reduce heart disease and improve heart health outcomes for Aboriginal communities across NSW.

Nine Aboriginal researchers have been awarded funding for three-year research projects under the NSW Government’s Aboriginal Heart Health Grant program.

Among the successful recipients is Belinda Field and her team at the Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services based on the Central Coast, who will work in close consultation with Darkinjung Community members to develop the Walk Strong Project.

The $750,000 grant will support Ms Field and her team to address the disproportionately high rates of peripheral artery disease among Aboriginal people through a culturally responsive, community-led heart disease education and exercise program.

Other grant recipients are located in Sydney and regional areas across the state, including Mardi, Kempsey, Newcastle, Griffith and Bathurst.

Cardiovascular disease includes many different conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels and disproportionately affects Aboriginal people at a rate 2.4 times higher than non-Indigenous Australians.

The disease also develops, on average, more than 10 years earlier in Aboriginal people. Despite improvements in health outcomes, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Aboriginal people.

Research consultation and co-design will ensure the funded projects and outcomes are grounded in the knowledge and lived experience of Aboriginal communities and are aligned with Aboriginal cultural values, community priorities and local strengths.

The grants are being delivered through two funding streams. One stream provides up to $750,000 to support the development of new cardiovascular interventions which were identified through extensive consultation with local communities.

A second stream offers up to $250,000 for early-stage developmental research projects, where consultation with Aboriginal communities will be undertaken to determine and identify needs, better understand causes, and gather local community input on potential solutions.

The other successful grant recipients and research projects are:

  • Dr Juanita Sherwood – Building a culturally relevant Model of Care for Cardiovascular Health
  • Professor Tony Dreise – Healthy Mouth, Healthy Heart: Co-designed action research project to improve integrated First Nations care models between heart and oral health
  • Amy Thompson – Re-imagining F.A.S.T: Community-led co-design of a culturally responsive early warning stroke message, to improve stroke outcomes
  • Lisa Curry – Marrambidya Murrayalalinya: Sound as a Cultural Determinant of Health for Aboriginal People
  • Cassia Lindsay – Elders in Wellness: A culturally grounded healthy ageing journey
  • Mandy Debenham – Caring for Country’s Hearts: A Collaborative Approach to Cardiac Health
  • Yeena Thompson – CIRCLE: Aboriginal Community-led initiative for Research on Cardiovascular Health Lived Experiences
  • Dr Liesa Clague – “Getting at the heart of it”: Aboriginal community-led participatory action research using storytelling yarning.

The grants are part of the NSW Government’s Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program, a $150 million investment over 10 years, which aims to improve the cardiovascular health of people in NSW.

For more information visit: https://medicalresearch.nsw.gov.au/grants/aboriginal-heart-health

Minister for Medical Research and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty David Harris said:

“Heart disease continues to have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal communities and I am proud to be part of a Government that is making this major investment in targeted research funding to support Aboriginal-led solutions to close this unacceptable gap.

“We know that Aboriginal communities understand their own health needs better than anyone and Aboriginal-led research is essential to ensure heart health intiatives to prevent disease, improve care and help save lives of Aboriginal peoples.

“Through this investment we are creating long-term foundations for healthier futures across Aboriginal communities in NSW.

”I know first-hand that Belinda Field and her team at the Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services do fantastic work on the Central Coast in partrnership with Darkinjung, and are an excellent example of what this funding can achieve to improve the health and day-to-day lives of mob.”

Proud Wiradjuri woman and CEO at Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services Belinda Field said::

“This NSW Government investment puts Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services at the forefront of elevating community knowledge and self-determination. 

“It will assist to drive Aboriginal cultural distinctiveness into research by embedding our ways of deep listening and two-way knowledge sharing to achieve greater outcomes for those affected by heart disease in our community here in Darkinjung country.”

Strategy and Operations Manager at Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services Paul Hussein said:

“The prevention and management of foot disease is a key priority for people in our community here in Darkinjung country, and the research project will utilise Aboriginal-led design and community participatory action research to develop and evaluate a community-led exercise and education program for people living with Peripheral Artery Disease.”

NSW seeks market information to inform fuel contingency planning

NSW Energy Minister Penny Sharpe has written to the chief executives of the major fuel companies to seek information to inform NSW’s response to fuel distribution challenges arising from the conflict in the Middle East.

While the Federal Government has confirmed that fuel deliveries to Australia continue to arrive as planned, NSW and other states are experiencing localised shortages and distribution issues in the face of increased demand.

The NSW Government is seeking historical information on storage and stocks, as well as sales and orders. We are also requesting information on future orders and forecasts.

This information will be used to form a more complete view on what is happening in the market and how the Government can work with the fuel industry and end customers to maintain economic activity through a period of uncertainty.

Right now, fuel supplies are arriving in NSW as expected and supply remains secure, but we are continuing to plan for all scenarios.

To support national coordination, the NSW Government has designated the Secretary of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Anthony Lean as the state’s fuel coordinator. Mr Lean is working with with Anthea Harris, who has been appointed as the Commonwealth’s Fuel Supply Taskforce Coordinator.

The NSW Government’s message remains that people should only buy as much fuel as they need.

Motorists are encouraged to download the NSW FuelCheck app or visit the FuelCheck website for daily information on fuel prices as an indication of the availability across the state.

Minister for Energy, Penny Sharpe said:

“We are continuing to monitor the impacts the Middle East conflict is having on NSW fuel distribution.

“We are planning for all possible scenarios, noting the unpredictable nature of the overseas conflict and the potential for the fuel situation to deteriorate.

“As part of NSW’s preparations, I have written to the major fuel companies seeking information about historical and future fuel orders.

“This will help us deal with emerging distribution issues and plan for future interventions, should they become necessary.”