Abc Newcastle

FAVOURITE THINGS: A VERY SPECIAL MAP 🗺
Julie Baird from Newcastle Museum brought in a very old and special map of the Hunter to show ABC Newcastle’s Paul Bevan. You’ll never guess where the map was found.

Cessnock police station has been evacuated as a precaution after a man walked into the building with a hand grenade.
Police say it's believed the man had found the grenade and was handing it in.
Pedestrians and motorists have been advised to avoid the area as police wait for bomb specialists from the Defence Force to attend.

BREAKING: The New South Wales Attorney-General has announced there will be an inquiry into the convictions of Hunter Valley serial killer Kathleen Folbigg.

🖼🎨 PRE-LOVED ART AUCTION IN SCONE TO RAISE MONEY FOR DROUGHT AFFECTED FAMILIES 🎨🖼
Have you recently de-cluttered, or are you in the process of re-decorating your place?
You might be interested in donating your pre-loved art to Scone Rotary Club, who are holding a pre-loved art auction this Friday.
... President of Scone Rotary Club Lindy Hunt said that the auction will raise money to purchase vouchers to help local families who are doing it tough.
"People from the Club and form the community have donated art, and we have an auctioneer and we invite people to come along and help us raise some fund," she said.
If you're looking to spruce up your home while supporting a great cause, Lindy said that the art taking part is fantastic.
"Viewing is from 6pm to 6:30pm at Scone Arts and Crafts, and the auction will start at 6:30pm sharp."
The Rotary Club has preferred to donate vouchers, as it will help keep the local economy going by directing the funds to local businesses.
"We're purchasing local vouchers from local businesses, to help local farmers and local families who might be in dire straits because of the drought," said Lindy.
Image: Scone Arts and Crafts, Facebook.
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💰🏦 NEWCASTLE POST OFFICE BUILDING SOLD 💰🏦
Newcastle's Awabakal Aboriginal Land Council has agreed to sell the city's historic former post office building to a hotel mogul for $3.5 million.
Cosmetic surgeon and former Newcastle local Jerry Schwartz will redevelop the derelict building in Hunter Street into a mixed retail and function centre.
... It's estimated the costs of repairing and restoring the heritage-listed structure could be as high as $15 million.
Awabakal CEO Rob Russell says the deal with Dr Schwartz includes a minimum requirement for Aboriginal workers during construction and its operation.
He says it's a great result for Newcastle.
"It will restore the exterior, plus if it becomes a functional building again that people can go and visit, I think all of Newcastle will benefit from that," he said.
He says the Land Council vote last night for Dr Schwartz's proposal was unanimous.
"It came down to three main proponents, we put to them the same wish list, and we said we wanted to maintain a connection to the site and the purchaser."
"There were three main conditions from the Land Council - employment in the construction side, for Aboriginal people participating in the construction.
"Post-construction employment, Jerry has agreed to meet a target of 10 per cent of Aboriginal employment for staff, once the facility is up and running.
"And an ongoing relationship with the Land Council by setting aside space for local Aboriginal artists to exhibit and sell their goods."
Dr Schwartz says he plans to reserve the basement level of the building for Aboriginal art and cultural displays.
He says the ground and first floors would be set aside for bridal boutiques, a cafe and a function centre.
"To make it a whole wedding area, where people can go and select clothing, flowers and a photographer for weddings," he said.
"Then the top floor, which is a fantastic area, will be a conference/reception hall."
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A man's been charged with murder after another man was found lying on a road at Lake Macquarie this week.
The 23-year-old was found by a taxi driver at Whitebridge on Monday morning.
He'd suffered extensive burns, and died on the way to hospital.
... A police strike force has been investigating, and yesterday charged a 35-year-old man with murder.
He'll face Newcastle local court today.
Police say the two men knew each other.
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We’re back 😀! Making news this Wednesday, the latest on the Prime Minister’s leadership woes, a man to face Newcastle court charged with murder and a massive windfall for Singleton Council.

🚨🚨🚨 NELSON BAY ROAD CLOSED AFTER THREE-CAR ACCIDENT 🚨🚨🚨
The region's rescue helicopter has been called to a three-car accident on Nelson Bay Road at Fern Bay, with one of the vehicles on fire.
The accident's happened at the intersection of Fullerton Street, at the end of the Stockton Bridge.
... Nelson Bay Road is closed in both directions.
Motorists are being urged to avoid the area.
Southbound traffic is being turned back to Cabbage Tree Road, Tomago Road and the Pacific Highway.
There are significant delays.
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🏍️🏎️🏅EDGEWORTH'S HIDDEN MOTOR SPORTS HISTORY🏆🔥🎥 Have you ever heard of the international motor sports events for midget cars, motorcycles and sidecars at Salty Creek Raceway at Edgeworth?
Lake Macquarie City Council library is looking to complete the picture of this little known sporting venue that operated from the 1950s to the 1970s.
... Judy Messiter, a community history officer at Lake Macquarie Library, said the venue "drew hundreds of visitors on race days" and was "a venue for championship races and international events in its heyday".
"Despite its relative recency, and the large number of people who would have frequented the meets, it would be great to have some stories," Ms Messiter said.
The Lake Macquarie historical photos were brought to our attention via #abcourhistory a push by the ABC to start a discussion about our history using a hashtag.
Turns out the discussion is already well and truly underway at the Lake Mac local studies section.
"We call our local studies section Community History," Ms Messiter said.
"We've actually got a website where we're trying to get community stories."
Some of the information the community history section already has about the Salty Creek Raceway is fascinating.
"In 1953 the Mayfield Motorcycle Club had negotiated a lease arrangement with the Catholic Church for use of a plot of land adjacent to Cockle Creek at Edgeworth as a short circuit race track," Ms Messiter said.
"In return, the church would receive a proportion of the gate takings at meetings."
The land was the former site of the Salty Creek Recreation Area, a popular picnic spot in the 1920s and 1930s; access to the track was via Penrose Street Edgeworth.
"Salty Creek was issued with NSW Speedway Licence Number Two, and the opening meeting was set down for March 9th 1958 with a full card of 52 events," Ms Messiter said.
"The venue was never truly commercially run and all maintenance work and upgrade was carried out by volunteers."
"The track was the scene of major national races and the England vs Australia motorcycle test matches in 1972 and 1974."
It is not certain when the last race was run at Salty Creek or when the site infrastructure was demolished, or why. The site gradually closed, and today there is little remaining to mark its presence.
"The memories that people have got of local history are just going to get lost if they don't share them," Ms Messiter said.
"Those untold stories no matter how insignificant they may deem they may have a bearing on things."
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🎉🎉 Yew! Morgan Evans hits No.1 in the US Country Charts ⬆️⬆️⬆️

📣 It was ON. And then it was off.🔔
This morning the Prime Minister told the Liberal party room he was declaring all leadership positions vacant.
But he's since withstood a challenge from his party colleague, Peter Dutton.
... Do you think the PM's win in the leadership ballot, by 48 votes to 35, has secured his position in the job?
Or have we just seen the beginning of the end of yet another PM?
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🌾🌾🌾 GRAIN SHIPMENT HEADED FOR NEWCASTLE HARBOUR 🌾🌾🌾
A ship full of grain from Western Australia will be unloaded in the Port of Newcastle as desperate New South Wales farmers source feed from the other side of the continent.
It's understood to be the first time in around a decade that grain will be imported, rather than exported, from Newcastle harbour.
... The shipment is bound for feed suppliers on the eastern side of the nation as farmers try to keep their animals alive.
The vessel the Luchow spent yesterday waiting outside the port for rough seas to subside, as the grain terminal operator worked furiously to reverse its usual systems.
Executive director of Newcastle Agri-terminal Jock Carter explains.
"We've got a state-of-the-art export terminal, not a state-of-the-art import terminal, so we're trying to work out how to reverse conveyors," he said.
"It'd be well over a decade since we've seen grain imported like this.
"Normally obviously we're an export terminal and this time last year we'd just successfully completed a record month of exports, so yes it's very unusual."
The ship was forced to wait outside the harbour yesterday due to rough seas, but is expected to dock later today.
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🏡💰 UPPER HUNTER BOASTS STATE'S MOST AFFORDABLE RENT 💰🏡
The Upper Hunter has been identified as the most affordable place to rent in regional New South Wales.
The report, released today by Hunter-based organisation Compass Housing, lists the amount of additional income a typical renting household would need to avoid housing stress across Australia's eastern states.
... Compass spokesman Martin Kennedy says, overall, Upper Hunter renters only pay 20 per cent of their income in rent.
"The Upper Hunter's one of the most affordable in the state," he said.
"It's actually even more affordable than Broken Hill, which you wouldn't necessarily expect.
"While the rents are similar, Upper Hunter residents have slightly higher incomes, so they can afford to pay the rent without impacting their ability to pay for other things."
When it comes renting in the Hunter region, Lake Macquarie and Port Stephens are the most expensive.
Tenants in Port Stephens pay 35 per cent of their income in rent, while it's 31 per cent at Lake Macquarie.
Mr Kennedy says housing stress must be addressed.
"Rents are a very changeable beast too, I mean we've seen there's some volatility in rents in places like Muswellbrook as well, but at base level these things are impacted by the demand for rental housing and the available supply of it.
"Clearly in the Upper Hunter at the moment, things are at a pretty good equilibrium."
He says housing stress kicks in when rents reach 30 per cent of people's income.
"Within the Hunter region, Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie are the areas where overall affordability for renters is a problem.
"In Port Stephens for example, the typical renting household would need about an extra $177 per week in their pay packet to avoid housing stress.
"In Lake Macquarie, it's about $50 per week."
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Edward ‘Ted’ Hall has pleaded not guilty to 31 offences of indecent or sexual assault re 11 boys.
Please do not thwart the judicial process by posting anything untested or inflammatory.

HOMICIDE SQUAD INVESTIGATES SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT LAKE MACQUARIE
A police strike force, made up of state homicide squad and local police, has been established to investigate the death of a man who was found with extensive injuries at Lake Macquarie.
Superintendent Danny Sullivan says the 23-year-old man was found on Oakdale Road at Whitebridge at 1am by a taxi driver.
... He was flown to Sydney’s Royal North Shore hospital for treatment but died en route.
Superintendent Sullivan wouldn’t speculate further on the nature of the man’s injuries but said it was unlikely to be a hit-and-run.
“We’re certainly not treating this as a casual event,” he said.
“We haven’t ruled anything in or anything out at this stage.
“He’s a local man, 23 years old.
“Police are exploring a number of avenues of inquiry.”
Superintendent Sullivan says police are appealing for anyone with information to come forward including anyone with dash-cam footage of the area.
“We’re asking the public to come forward, anyone who has gone through that area around that time at Oakdale Road Whitebridge ,” he said.
“This man suffered extensive injuries and it was the taxi driver who came across him. He contacted triple zero immediately.”
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Gloucester is a town divided over the proposed Rocky Hill coal mine. Are jobs more important than potential impacts to residents and the environment? This story from ABC News last night.

🔥SALT ASH FIRE UPDATE🔥
All is calm on the fireground as fire fighters continue to monitor the situation, with the assistance of helicopters.
Fire fighters will continue to patrol the fire ground over the coming days, to check for spot fires.
... The fire has burnt over 2,000 hectares and remains at advice level.
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Newcastle-based private health fund, nib, has posted an after-tax profit of $133 million for the 2018 financial year.
That's an 11 per cent increase on the previous year.
During the 12 month period nib paid $1.5 billion in health insurance claims, funding over 280,000 hospital admissions and 3.7 million dental and ancillary visits.
... Managing director Mark Fitzgibbon says it's a great result, with revenue also up by 20 per cent.
"We often say in the business, profits are just a reflection of doing what you're meant to be doing well and we think we had a good year.
"We grew at a rate of three per cent which was six times the industry growth rate, we acquired another business, GU Health during the year.
"Very importantly about 30 per cent of our profitability comes from operations other than the traditional core business, so we insure a couple of hundred thousand international students, we have travel insurance around the world and we now have a business in China."
Mr Fitzgibbon says for members there's also been downward pressure on the amount they're paying in premium increases.
"Our premium increase this year of 3.94 per cent was the lowest in 14 years.
"I can still hear people say that's still too much and we agree.
"We're hoping next years premium increase will be even lower than this year's increase, so we're working hard." PHOTO: AAP
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🚨🚨🚨 POLICE INVESTIGATE AFTER SUSPICIOUS DEATH AT LAKE MACQUARIE 🚨🚨🚨
Investigations are underway after the suspicious death of a man at Lake Macquarie overnight.
Police say shortly after 1am a taxi driver travelling along Oakdale Road at Whitebridge found a man lying by the side of the road.
... The man had suffered extensive injuries.
The taxi driver contacted emergency services and the man was treated at the scene.
He was flown in the region's rescue helicopter to Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital, but died during the flight.
The man has not been identified.
A crime scene has been established where the man was found and police are urging anyone who was travelling near Oakdale Road in the early hours of this morning and saw anything to come forward.
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O’Neill has got to go, never have I heard someone so clueless!



Today she cast shade on chapell’s article of which in the same breath she says she didn’t read it then she tells him to write on different things...... I’ve forgotten her cricket credentials maybe she can put them up so we can do a comparison against Chappell. #timetogo!

O’Neill has got to go, never have I heard someone so clueless!



Today she cast shade on chapell’s article of which in the same breath she says she didn’t read it then she tells him to write on different things...... I’ve forgotten her cricket credentials maybe she can put them up so we can do a comparison against Chappell. #timetogo!

O’Neill has got to go, never have I heard someone so clueless!



Today she cast shade on chapell’s article of which in the same breath she says she didn’t read it then she tells him to write on different things...... I’ve forgotten her cricket credentials maybe she can put them up so we can do a comparison against Chappell. #timetogo!