Plus, driver survives 12m plunge in vehicle, a spectacular electrical storm, and support for local flower growers
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'Sad and angry': Locals vent as beach erosion closes popular cafe | |
| Stockton residents came out in force on Tuesday to hear the news that Newcastle Council was shutting access to the popular Lexie's On The Beach cafe.
The council is blaming ongoing beach erosion, saying the kiosk is at risk of inundation.
The decision has put 27 people out of work and residents are vowing to fight for their coastline, planning a protest this Sunday. | |
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Hunter water restrictions wound back | |
| Level 2 water restrictions only came into force a month ago, but they'll be lifted on Monday after heavy rains helped push the Hunter's total water storage up over 60 per cent.
Water Minister Melinda Pavey joined Hunter Water executives at Grahamstown Dam on Tuesday to announce the region will go back to Level 1 restrictions. | |
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Orkopoulos back behind bars | |
| Convicted paedophile and former Swansea Labor MP Milton Orkopoulos was back in custody this week after being charged with breaching his parole for the second time in a month.
He was arrested at his home in Sydney on Wednesday and spent the night in a cell, accused of failing to comply with his reporting obligations. | |
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Driver survives 12m plunge at mine site | |
| It was a lucky escape for a mine worker at the Ravensworth Open Cut Coal Mine in the Hunter Valley when his 4WD went over an embankment.
While performing blast clearance duties, he drove towards what he believed was an access ramp, but instead tumbled off the bench, plunging 12 metres. Luckily he was able to free himself and call for help, escaping with minor injuries.
The roof of the vehicle was badly crushed. The NSW Resources Regulator is investigating how the accident occurred, and says mine operators must always clearly identify risks and hazards. | |
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Fierce electrical storm leaves Hunter homes blacked out | |
| Homes across Newcastle and the Hunter Valley were left without power after a spectacular electrical storm hit the region on Tuesday night.
On Wednesday morning, 5,000 Hunter homes were still blacked out.
Muswellbrook's Karen Adnum captured this incredible pic of one of the thousands of lightning bolts. | |
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Injured surfer would have been 'better off being hit by a car' | |
| A Newcastle woman paralysed from the waist down in a 2018 surfing accident on the Gold Coast has been told she would have been looked after for life if she'd been injured on the road.
As it is, the community has been forced to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars to assist Jess Collins in her rehabilitation. | |
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It's a big week for... | | Jill's last episode. The Still Jill podcast created by our former ABC colleague Jill Emberson, who died of ovarian cancer last year, has released its final episode. Supporting local growers. Valentine's Day saw a rush of support for local growers, rather than the more traditional and often imported blooms. Newcastle Pride. Newcastle's LGBTIQ community has revealed plans for a massive float at this month's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney. | |
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