FIRST HALF OF SPECIAL COMMISSION CONCLUDES

The first half of the Special Inquiry into child sexual abuse allegations within the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle has wrapped up in Newcastle.

The commission today heard from its own independent witness, hired to examine the police strike force set up to investigate claims of a cover-up within the church.

EMOTIONAL SEND-OFF FOR VARIETY BASHERS

Newcastle’s Foreshore will host a flashy spectacle on Sunday morning with the departure of the 2013 Variety Bash.

Crews in fancy dress and 80 vehicles, including a 1968 school bus and 1974 fire engine will take part in the 7 day, 2,643 km tour into western New South Wales, the mid north-coast and back again.

It’s the 22nd annual Newcastle Variety Bash with the participants making pit stops at schools and towns along the way donating medical supplies and equipment from money raised during fundraising efforts.

The Bashers will enjoy a pre-departure breakfast from 7.00 am before the convoy is waved off at 8.30 am.
Mrs Sonia Tamplin, the wife of the late Variety Chairman Tony Tamplin, who died last month, will officially farewell the convoy.

MISSING TODDLER FOUND

A two-year-old boy who wandered away from his mother into bushland on the mid-north coast has been found alive and well.

The full-scale search was turned down last night and was set to resume at daybreak.

However at about 1.15am this morning volunteers found the boy in the dense bushland.

Two-year-old Tyler was with his mother at a mechanic’s workshop at Johns River at around 10:30 this morning, when he wandered off into nearby bushland.

He was checked by NSW Ambulance Paramedics and taken to Port Macquarie Hospital as a precaution.

WEATHER UPDATE: CHILLY WEEKEND

A slow moving, deep low is now spiralling over the Tasman producing a solid swell which will build overnight moving up the coast on Saturday. Combined with the cold, westerly winds will make for an epic weekend of waves up and down the coast for surf lovers.

The air mass is dry so low humidity levels are expected. The lack of moisture in the air allows the temperature to fall quickly once the sun goes down. On the bright side it also helps with day time heating.

Inland morning frosts will become a feature across the weekend.

There is a significant inland rain event brewing, we’ll check that first thing next week.

HUNTER RESIDENTS FARE WELL IN WELLBEING

Hunter residents have scored an average 4 out of 5 for wellbeing, as findings from the latest edition of the Hunter Valley Research Foundation (HVRF) are released.

This is the fourth time the HVRF has released the ‘Wellbeing Watch: A monitor of health, wealth and happiness‘. The publication collects regionally-based information on whether people can afford their day-to-day needs, if they feel a part of their local community and are engaging in healthy behaviours.

Wellbeing in the Hunter Region remained high overall, with just 7% of residents reporting a low score of 3.3 or below.

Traffic continues to be a problem for, with 36% of respondents negatively affected. However those that stay in school have a greater chance of achieving overall wellbeing with 58% of those who have graduated from year 12, reporting level increases.

Satisfaction Stats

- Low wellbeing is consistently associated with dependence on welfare, being unemployed or having low levels of accessible income; 30% of respondents experience shortage of money to meet everyday needs.
- Those paying board had significantly lower wellbeing scores than those who owned their own home or with a mortgage; 80% of people agreed they could afford a reasonable standard of living in their area.
- People living in a family unit, with a support network reported higher levels of satisfaction than those living alone or lacking support; 98% had people they could talk to about their problems.
- Neighbourhood satisfaction is intrinsically linked to wellbeing; 89% of Hunter residents are satisfied with their neighbourhood.
- Health is a big factor for people’s wellbeing; 80% of residents said their health was excellent and 21% said their health was better than 12 months prior.

HUNTER REGION ECONOMY, MODERATELY OPTIMISTIC

It’s official, the outlook for the Hunter Region is moderately optimistic, according to figures released in the Hunter Valley Research Foundation’s (HVRF) March quarter report.

The latest Hunter Region Economic Indicators reveal mining and related industries remain one of the underlying economic drivers of the region. However the report also draws attention to the Hunter’s fragile dependence on resources and associated industries.

There has been an overall increase in unemployment since March 2010, which reflects the region’s vulnerability to demand and commodity prices in Asia.

In numbers, unemployment is up 5.4% and employment growth in the region is down 1.5%, compared to last year.

That puts Hunter Region unemployment 0.4% below the state average.

Employment in construction, and professional, scientific and technical services is down, with the report pointing to investment booms giving way to production.

While consumer confidence is down, the report indicates an increase in residents concerned about environmental issues.

The HVRF hosted an economics breakfast this morning, as part of the 2013 Hunter Innovation Festival.

AGL: GLOUCESTER’S PUBLIC MEETING

More than 300 people packed Gloucester Soldier’s Club last night, for a public meeting about AGL’s coal seam gas project.

The company’s Group General Manager Mike Moraza attended the meeting – on one condition – that no live recording takes place.

At the start of the meeting, television news cameras were asked to cease recording.

A local resident put forward a motion to allow recording to continue, but despite receiving overwhelming support, AGL stuck by its media protocol.

For more coverage click here

OFFICER INJURED AT FORSTER

A police officer has been been taken hospital after a collision at Forster on the mid north coast.
The officer’s van was hit by a car that allegedly failed to stop at a give way sign at Forster Quays, late this afternoon.

The police vehicle ended up on a nature strip at the intersection of King George Parade and Victor Avenue.

The extent of the officer’s injuries is unclear at this stage.

NEVER GIVING UP ON A DREAM

A Central Coast teenager has well and truly bounced back, from an early setback in life.

Eric Barrett only learned to walk at age 12 through a sheer willingness to succeed… now, two years later, he’s helping to coach his local basketball team.

WEE WAA GETS DAFT PUNKED

With just under 7 hours to go until Daft Punk’s album launch in Wee Waa, residents and fans around the world are buzzing with anticipation.

Organisers are spending the day transforming the town’s showground into a stage fit for the unique electronic music icons.

« Previous Page — Next Page »