Source: ABC Online
A supermarket and shopping complex looks set to go ahead at Cooranbong after the Land and Environment Court upheld an appeal by the developer.
The development was initially knocked back by Lake Macquarie Council.
Blue Sky Capital Ventures wants to put a Coles supermarket, specialty shops, a medical centre and 151 car parking spaces on land on the corner of Freeman’s Drive and Alton Road.
Lake Macquarie Council rejected the proposal earlier this year after requesting it be redesigned due to traffic and pedestrian issues and concerns the development may have an adverse impact on the nearby Avondale Shopping Village.
Commissioner John Watts yesterday upheld an appeal in the Land and Environment Court saying the developers had modified parts of the plan and there was no real reason to refuse the application.
The council is considering appealing this decision.
Former chair of the Cooranbong Progress Association Michael Chamberlain says the community hopes the development will not lead to traffic congestion in the area.
"The main problem is to make sure that the roads we have surrounding the commercial area are adequate and don’t clog up the system," he said.
Source: ABC Online
Newcastle University vice-chancellor Nick Saunders says he is not surprised at the institution’s disappointing ranking in the latest Good Universities Guide.
Compared to previous years, the university, in the New South Wales Hunter region, had a higher ranking for research performance and for graduates’ chances of getting a job.
But the rankings slipped in the categories of educational experience and student outcomes.
Professor Saunders says the survey is based on information from graduating students in 2005 and things have improved a lot since then.
"This was a very difficult year for the university, so I think it’s not surprising that the students have rated their experience overall at the university down on previous years," he said.
"On the other hand we’ve had an increase in our rating with regards to positive outcomes for graduates, like getting a job and starting salaries and the like, so that’s a positive finding."
Source: ABC Online
A developer has outlined details of a planned $500 million redevelopment of Newcastle’s central business district (CBD).
General Property Trust yesterday briefed Newcastle council, in the New South Wales Hunter region, on the plans to rejuvenate four inner-city blocks.
The plan could also see traffic reintroduced to the Hunter Street Mall.
Project director Phil Heney says it will be a major overhaul of retail, commercial and entertainment facilities in the city.
Source: Barry Toohey, Daily Telegraph
KIRK Reynoldson – the Newcastle Knights forward whose future at the club hinges on him playing one more NRL game this season – was yesterday dumped from the side to meet Penrith on Sunday.
Reynoldson must play 15 top-grade games to activate a $200,000 contract with the Knights for 2008 and the uncertainty over his playing future over the past few weeks was the catalyst that prompted captain Danny Buderus to go public last week with his concerns over the direction of the club under coach Brian Smith.
Reynoldson played game number 14 off the bench in the club’s 50-16 loss to Manly last Friday night.
He was one of three players axed for the Penrith game.
In an unprecedented move, coach Smith yesterday took his selected team to the Knights board for approval – knowing that Reynoldson’s exclusion would cause further howls of protest among players and supporters.
Source: ABC Online
Lake Macquarie Council has rejected a developer’s request for a six storey building at Warners Bay in the New South Wales Hunter region.
Council has already approved a five storey residential and commercial development on the site on King and Howard streets, one storey above the recommended height for the area.
Councillor Ken Paxinos says the sixth storey would have only added another 1.5 metres to the building height and the footprint would have remained the same.
He says the Warners Bay development control plan needs to be reviewed.
"Very disappointing decision. We put in place an urban design plan for the Warners Bay Commercial Centre over five years ago and so far not one development has progressed. Obviously the bar is too high," he said.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Greg Piper says the local environment plan will eventually be reviewed.
"Certainly Warners Bay in time will need a development review, but it shouldn’t be triggered by any one development," he said.
"Strategic planning should lead development, not the other way round and, as I said, given time, we will get around and we will come back to Warners Bay."
Source: Port Waratah Coal Services Limited
Port Waratah Coal Services has engaged the University of Newcastle to conduct a survey to investigate the incidence of cancer at PWCS compared to the general population.
The investigation by the University and the NSW WorkCover Research Centre of Excellence follows observations by several employees about the number of PWCS workers suffering from cancer.
“The aim of this survey is to determine if there is any uncontrolled exposure that might lead to people contracting cancer” Mr Davidson said.
Source: Australian Red Cross
An innovative refugee settlement project run by Australian Red Cross and launched in the Hunter Valley and Newcastle area this year is helping refugees adapt to a new life in Australia.
The aim of the project, financed by a $50,000 ‘Living in Harmony’ grant from the Commonwealth Department of Immigration and Citizenship, is to ensure the refugees have a smooth transition to Aussie life. And this means learning about local services, culture and industry.
Source: FourFourTwo
Brazilian striker Mario Jardel will be unveiled as a Jets player tomorrow (Tuesday) morning in Newcastle.
The 33-year-old arrived in Sydney yesterday and has signed a one-year deal with Gary Van Egmond’s side.
He is expected to train later in the day with his new Jets teammates, but is already tipped to miss the first three or four rounds until he is match fit.
Source: ABC Online
The chairman of the New South Wales Hunter branch of the Australian Technical Colleges says he hopes a permanent campus for the Maitland college will be open by December.
The three campuses at Singleton, Maitland and Newcastle are all fully operational with capacity enrolments but are all currently operating out of temporary facilities.
Hunter chairman Jim Gould says the Maitland campus is on track to be open by the end of the year.
"The college is fully open and operational over the three campuses and they are all in temporary premises at this stage," he said.
"The purpose-built facilities at Maitland are well in progress and should be ready for a handover in early December.
"The Singleton campus is in council and is waiting for the DA [development application] to come out and should be out in the next couple of weeks, but the Newcastle campus is still being held up by some traffic issues."
A climate for change – 10 Aug 2007
This week Council has been hosting a range of free events for residents to celebrate Local Government Week based around the theme: ‘a climate for change’.
The week started with the launch of the inaugural Christmas card photography competition, where members of the community have been invited to submit a photo of a Council facility with the winning entry to be used on our 2007 Christmas card. Entries close 31 August and can be submitted on Council’s website.
Local Government Week has given Council an opportunity to showcase the range of services and activities we deliver to our community. Representatives from different areas of Council – such as our engineers, mapping team, the library, Blackbutt, development approvers and more – are presenting information and advice throughout the week.
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