ABC Newcastle farewells Kia: Sports commentator and broadcaster Craig Hamilton isn't the only presenter to be leaving. Drive presenter Kia Handley (pictured above) said goodbye to listeners last week after working on Newcastle's Mornings and Drive programs for the past four years. You can watch Kia signing off on our Facebook page.
Bus crash class action: A father whose son was killed in the Hunter Valley bus crash says he plans to launch a class action against Linq Buslines over the incident to uphold his son's legacy. Adam Bray's son Zach was among 10 people who died when the bus they were travelling in rolled at a roundabout near Greta in June. The bus company's coaches have been found by police investigators to have multiple defects. Mr Bray recently met with the Premier, Transport Minister and head of the Bus Industry Taskforce to discuss his concerns around safety.
Energy review report: New South Wales Energy Minister Penny Sharpe says she's received a major review into the state's power grid and will discuss what it means for Lake Macquarie's Eraring Power Station in the coming weeks. The Energy Supply and Reliability Check Up Report assessed whether there's enough renewable power in the state to close down coal-fired plants like Eraring. NSW Premier Chris Minns has previously indicated the government will consider buying Eraring from Origin Energy if the report deems it crucial to shoring up power supply. Origin plans to close it in 2025.
Hydrogen hub plans: Plans for a Hunter Valley hydrogen hub are now open for public comment for the next month. Origin Energy Future Fuels is looking to build and operate a hydrogen production facility at Kooragang Island. An environmental impact statement says the hydrogen will be produced using predominantly recycled water and sustainable electricity.
Supercars survey results: A survey has found people who live further from the Newcastle 500 racetrack are more likely to support the event's continuation in the city. The survey, conducted by consulting giant KPMG on behalf of the Newcastle City Council, sought to find out how the community feels about a possible five-year extension of the event. Almost 11,000 residents within the local government area responded to the online survey (59 per cent of whom were against it continuing), and 490 residents responded to a phone survey (42 per cent of whom were against it continuing). The survey found residents in Ward 1, closest to the racetrack, were less likely to support the continuation.
Building site shutdown: The New South Wales Building Commissioner says safety inspectors shut down another Newcastle construction site last week that was not compliant with regulations. SafeWork NSW inspectors conducted five targeted unannounced checks on residential apartment buildings in Newcastle. Commissioner David Chandler alleges the site's safety measures were incredibly poor.
Calls for drought recognition: An Upper Hunter farmer says there needs to be formal recognition of drought conditions in the region to get on top of potential mental health concerns early. There are growing calls for the New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Agriculture Minister Tara Moriarty to tour the region and see drought conditions taking hold, first hand. Merriwa farmer Patrick Ryan says the Department of Primary Industries' Combined Drought Indicator is lagging on the reality of the drought.
Swansea dredging on track for summer: Transport for NSW Maritime says the Swansea Channel should be clear by the end of November, despite not knowing when sand dredging works will actually begin. Maritime has been carrying out preparation works in the channel during the past few weeks. A Maritime spokesperson says it's unknown when sand extraction will begin but is confident the channel will be clear for summer.
Law firm takes on Worimi case: Survivors of alleged abuse at a Newcastle children's home have engaged lawyers to take on their case. Witnesses to alleged historical child sexual abuse at Worimi Shelter, formerly the Newcastle shelter at Broadmeadow, are being urged to come forward. The Newcastle shelter opened in 1906 and operated until 2006. Law firm Slater and Gordon is representing several people who've claimed they were abused there.
Knights' winning form continues: The Newcastle Knights NRL side has made it seven consecutive wins after downing the South Sydney Rabbitohs 29-10 in front of a sellout crowd of 29,018 at Hunter Stadium on Sunday. The Knights' NRLW side also defeated the Brisbane Broncos 22-20, with halfback Jesse South kicking the winning goal with just seconds remaining on the clock.
