Ex-Newcastle church worker jailed over sex abuse

Brett Edward Sorby is sentenced to a maximum of 13 years' jail for his offending, which his victim described as "evil", saying she was ready to "give back the shame".

The court of Criminal Appeal has told the ABC the bus driver has lodged a notice of intention to appeal the 32-year jail term he received over the crash that killed 10 people.

Adam Bray, who lost his son Zach in the crash, says the class action will target Transport for NSW for providing "very poor infrastructure". It comes after the bus driver was sentenced to 32 years' jail.

Stuart Forrest says he owes his life to the men who saved him after a potentially deadly snakebite. Experts are warning people to remain vigilant ahead of what could be a busy snake season.

Three men were found guilty of multiple counts of rape earlier this year after they met three women who were then assaulted in an Airbnb during a bucks party weekend.

Australia is not really known for its seismic activity, but a series of earthquakes have rocked two communities in rural Australia in recent weeks.

The proposed changes will require parking rangers to issue on-the-spot notifications to motorists accused of breaching parking rules.

There are growing signs Australia's most impactful climate driver, La Niña, will develop during the coming months.

When Linda Ennis and her family moved to Salt Ash, they wanted land for horses. But that land in Port Stephens is now covered in gardens, and their creation helped Linda through a major health scare.

The Broncos all but confirmed an NRLW finals berth after Chelsea Lenarduzzi's last-minute try sealed a thrilling 20-16 defeat of the ladder-leading Sharks, while the Knights end the Titans' top-four hopes with a 46-10 thrashing.

Getting your home and property ready ahead of bushfire season can seem daunting, but early preparation is important, and can save lives. Over the next four newsletters, ABC Emergency will break down the list of jobs you can tick off week-by-week. This week the outside jobs are clearing gutters and removing debris. Inside, your job is to discuss your bushfire plan.

Happy birthday, Hunter Wetlands: ABC Newcastle journalists Dan Cox and Jenny Marchant and the ABC Newcastle Breakfast team visited the Hunter Wetlands Centre at Shortland last week for a special broadcast to celebrate centre's 40th anniversary. The wetlands are a hub for native wildlife and in the past four decades volunteers have plants thousands of plants.

Pictured: Bruce Williams (operations co-ordinator), Rachel Cronin (producer), Laurise Dickson (producer), Jenny Marchant (presenter), Dan Cox (presenter).

Mine site death: A man has died after falling down a decommissioned mine shaft at Yancoal's Austar Mine. Emergency services were called to Ellalong, near Cessnock, on Tuesday afternoon. The body of the 59-year-old was found in water at the base of the shaft at about 11am on Wednesday. Emergency crews, including Police Rescue and Bomb Disposal Unit, NSW Ambulance and Fire and Rescue NSW helped to retrieve his body. NSW Resources Regulator has launched an investigation into the man's death. In 2021 the process started to transition the underground coal mine from care and maintenance to closure.

Counting continues for local govt elections: The NSW Electoral Commission is still counting votes from the local government elections at the weekend. While official results are yet to be declared, Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes has declared defeat and passed on her congratulations to Professor Ross Kerridge who is likely to take the top job. In Maitland, Independent Daniel Watton has declared victory in the mayoral race. The current vote count has him ahead of incumbent Mayor Jay Suvaal. Labor's Leah Anderson has declared victory in the mayoral race for Port Stephens. Incumbent Mayor Ryan Palmer did not contest the election.

Calls for change after police review: The state government needs to change how authorities respond to mental health incidents, Greens MP Sue Higginson says. Her comment follows the release of a NSW Police review which was prompted by the death of Newcastle woman Krista Kach in Stockton last year. It found there's an over-reliance on officers as the primary responders to mental health crises. Ms Higginson says the government has taken too long to respond to the issue, but NSW Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson says the review is the first step in determining the pathway toward an alternative model.

Pumped hydro plans lodged with state govt: A proposed pumped hydro project in the Gloucester Valley could power almost 200,000 homes a day, proponent Yancoal says. It's proposing to develop the Stratford Renewable Energy Hub at the site of the Stratford Mining Complex after mining ended earlier this year. The proposed renewable energy hub will include a solar farm and pumped hydro energy storage system, with two reservoirs at different elevations connected by a tunnelled waterway. Plans for the pumped hydro project are now before the state's planning department.

NRL season over for Knights: Newcastle went down to the North Queensland Cowboys 28-16 in the elimination final at the weekend. The Knights led 12-4 at half time but a late fight back by the Cowboys put an end to Newcastle's season.

Knights' end-of-season awards: Newcastle veteran Dane Gagai was awarded the club's Danny Buderus Medal for player of the year at the end-of-season awards ceremony this week. Gagai was also named players' player and received the Once a Knight Old Boys' gladiator award. Rising star Fletcher Sharpe received the rookie of the year honour.

This giant layered sandwich is perfect to prep ahead when heading to a picnic or the beach.

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