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ISSUE 011 FEBRUARY 18

“We’re at the end of our tether”;

nurses and midwives strike at Civic Park City of Newcastle is offering a small glimpse into the cultural performances that are set to feature in this year’s New Annual festival.

See page 5

NovoCulture Hundreds of nurses and midwives from across the Hunter New England Health district walked off the job on February 15 as part of statewide strike action to highlight the NSW Government’s refusal to negotiate safe staffing in public hospitals.

School kids with musical talent are being offered the opportunity to secure paid work by showcasing their act at Tocal Field Days.

See page 19

NovoSociety

See page 9 Action instead of platitudes and praise from the government was a key theme at the rally Photo: Hayley McMahon, NovoNews

Dispute grows over former BHP land use

The acquisition of a new van to Newcastle Pride has become a beacon of visibility for the organisation, signalling the start of some big things to come.

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NovoSport

Two dedicated volunteers have been named the female and male Newcastle Permanent Hunter Junior Surf Lifesaver of the Year.

See page 22

The NSW Government has issued a call for proposals to repurpose 52 hectares of former BHP land in Mayfield North, the same land that is a missing piece of the puzzle in Port of Newcastle’s Multipurpose Deepwater Terminal plan.

In a statement released on February 14

by NSW Minister for Planning and Minister for Homes, Anthony Roberts, Registrations of Interest were being sought to transform the former steelworks site into new innovative uses to boost employment and the local economy.

Roberts said the site could be used for advanced manufacturing, cleantech and green energy.

“Newcastle has a proud industrial heritage and was once known as ‘Steel City’ due to the BHP Steelworks that sat on this land for more than 80 years,” Roberts said.

“As the seventh-largest city in Australia,

with proximity to Sydney and critical infrastructure including port, rail and road networks, Newcastle has great potential to specialise in innovative markets such as clean and green technologies.

“It’s time for a new era as we transition into the next phase of job creation in emerging industries, boosting local employment and attracting new investment from domestic and international markets.”

The land in question is the Intertrade site that holds the former BHP administration building, bike shed building and technology building.

It also backs onto the site on which Port of Newcastle plans to build a large, automated container terminal.

Port of Newcastle had previously inquired about long term leasing the land from the NSW Government in 2018, with plans to transform it into a transport and distribution centre, providing purpose-built access and egress points for the proposed container

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terminal next door.

According to the Newcastle Herald, the NSW Government rejected the inquiry in 2019, as it did not meet the relevant “unsolicited proposal” criteria.

The Port of Newcastle developed the Multipurpose Deepwater Terminal plan to reduce double handling, decongest the freight rail network, lessen costs and delays, and create more jobs for the region.

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Design unveiled for prominent Newcastle West site A new design to reimagine the former Spotlight and Anaconda site in Newcastle West has been unveiled following an architectural design competition.

The proposed redevelopment of 711 Hunter Street, Newcastle West, extends from Hunter Street to King Street and along the northern side of National Park Street.

A three-member independent jury under the governance of City of Newcastle and the NSW Government Architect’s Office unanimously selected the innovative design by Plus Architecture.

The winning design has an estimated construction cost of $100M with an overall height of 90 metres, featuring 267 dwellings across two towers, 1400 square metres of commercial floorspace and 322 parking spaces.

Stand-out design elements strongly supported by the jury included the ‘meeting place’ concept, a public domain to facilitate and encourage people to meet, and the visual link between National Park Street and the Army Drill Hall.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the architectural design competition had delivered design excellence for the redevelopment of 711 Hunter Street,

The winning design has an overall height of 90 metres, featuring 267 dwellings across two towers Photo: St Hilliers, SPG and Plus Architecture

leading to positive outcomes for the city.

“Newcastle’s city skyline is set to be further transformed when this significant redevelopment in the West End comes to life,” Cr Nelmes said.

“The construction associated with a redevelopment of this size will generate jobs and help buoy Newcastle’s economy,

which is a positive as we come up against the ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and look to the future.”

Manager Regulatory, Planning and Assessment Michelle Bisson said the competition raised the Newcastle benchmark of architectural design excellence.

“Ongoingrevitalisationanddevelopment is continuing to transform Newcastle, particularly in the West End, and 2022 is shaping up to be another exciting and busy year for our city,” Bisson said.

“Once constructed, 711 Hunter Street will boast a hallmark building that will stand the test of time for future generations to admire.”

St Hilliers Property Project Director Paul Smith said the design competition had been a great way to bring the best architectural talent and ideas forward.

“The quality of architectural design presented by Plus Architecture is really impressive, and we look forward to further refining the design by incorporating the jury’s recommendations before proceeding to the next phase,” Smith said.

“With a development of this significance, we will work closely with Plus Architecture to set sustainability targets and quality design outcomes during the more detailed development application phase, including a focus on thermal comfort, energy, waste and water.”

This year, a development application for the site is expected to be lodged by St Hilliers and The Spotlight Group.

Information source: City of Newcastle

Lake Macquarie City Council to go green by 2025 Lake Macquarie City Council will move to 100 per cent renewable energy by 2025 for its large sites and street lights after joining forces with neighbouring councils to

secure a renewable energy supply for the next decade.

Lake Macquarie City Council, along with Central Coast, Cessnock City, Maitland City, Muswellbrook Shire and Upper

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Hunter Shire, have teamed up to secure a long-term electricity agreement with Mojo Power backed by new renewable electricity generation projects in regional NSW and the Hunter Region.

Council’s Built and Natural Assets Director David Hughes said the collaborative approach would result in a greener, more sustainable, and diversified power source for the council’s large sites and street lights.

“This investment fits with the council’s strategy of investing in clean, renewable sources of energy and reducing the impact on the local environment,” Hughes said.

Lake Macquarie facilitated and participated in the innovative joint regional procurement process, harnessing the combined buying power and electricity load of the six councils combined to secure a competitive 10-year contract.

“Working with neighbouring councils enhanced our buying power but, importantly, also signalled a shared

commitment by LGAs across our two regions to reduce our carbon footprint and promote the benefits of renewable energy,” Hughes said.

Many of Lake Macquarie’s major sites will source power from the new agreement, including the Lake Macquarie City administration building, the Museum of Art and Culture, as well as libraries, holiday parks, and swim centres.

The council has made numerous other renewable energy improvements that will continue to have ongoing positive impacts on service delivery and the wider environment.

Lake Macquarie City Council celebrated World Environment Day in 2018 by announcing it had already achieved a 2023 renewable energy target, which encompassed a goal of having 600KW of renewable energy capacity installed at council facilities by 2023.

Information source: Lake Macquarie City Council

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The increased purchasing power of six councils secured competitive market pricing Photo source: Lake Macquarie City Council

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FEBRUARY 18 ISSUE 011

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Kurri gas plant gets final tick of approval Construction of the controversial gas-fired power plant in Kurri Kurri may soon commence, following the approval of Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley. Ley said the project had been approved after rigorous assessment and on the condition that the project proponents, Snowy Hydro Limited, met the conditions set by the NSW Government.

“This thorough bilateral assessment with NSW has paved the way for the development and operation of this new critical infrastructure in a way that sensitively manages, protects and rehabilitates the environment,” Minister Ley said.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor visited Kurri Kurri on February 7 to officially announce the approval.

Taylor said the project was good for jobs, business and securing reliable power.

The Federal Government is providing up to $600M in equity to support the gas-fired power station after setting a target for an extra 1,000 MW of dispatchable energy in NSW following the Liddell closure.

Taylor said the Hunter Power Project was critical to eliminating the risk to customers after the planned closure of the Liddell power station in 2023.

At peak construction, Taylor said the project would support up to 600 direct jobs and 1,200 indirect jobs across NSW and would be vital in keeping businesses such as the Tomago Aluminium Smelter in operation.

Taylor said the Hunter Power Project would ensure affordable power, give local businesses opportunities and provide hundreds of jobs.

Taylor also criticised the Labor party’s recent promise to amend the project if elected.

Under Labor’s plan, Snowy Hydro Limited would run the power station on 30 per cent green hydrogen once operational, increasing to 50 per cent

Gas Free Hunter Alliance members protested the plant at Minister Angus Taylor’s press conference on February 7 Photo source: Gas Free Hunter Alliance

by 2025 and 100 per cent by 2030.

“Unlike Labor, the Morrison Government has a concrete, costed and commercial plan for the delivery of this important electricity project,” he said “Our business case demonstrates the project will deliver a double-digit rate of return of 12.3 per cent.

“We’re getting on with it – Labor will only delay it with its plan to double the cost without creating a single extra job or generating a single additional megawatt of power.”

Despite many Hunter community groups opposing the project, the recent announcement revealed that community protest had failed to halt the government’s plan.

Since it was proposed in May 2021, petitions against the site have amassed more than 55,000 signatures, and of the

261 submissions, only two supported the power plants construction.

Gas Free Hunter Alliance co-ordinator Fiona Lee said the announcement was “not surprising but still disappointing”, and it would be “bad for the Hunter, and bad for Australia.”

“Commonwealth Environment Minister Sussan Ley should be protecting the environment, not rubber-stamping dirty, outdated fossil fuel projects which will worsen the impacts of climate change and pollute the local environment,” Lee said.

“Mr Taylor appears to lack all commitment in supporting regional communities to transition away from fossil fuels or to take real action on climate change.”

Lee said the plant would only create 10 long-term jobs.

“The Hunter region needs secure, future-focused jobs,” she said.

“Investing $610 million or more of public funds into an unnecessary and outdated gas plant will create just 10 long-term jobs.

“Instead, we call on Mr Taylor to fund renewable energy and storage and to retrain workers in fossil fuel reliant industries.”

Kurri Kurri resident Lynn Benn said a gas-fired power plant didn’t make sense from any angle, especially “when we need to rapidly move away from fossil fuels”.

“But I am most incensed at the waste of taxpayers money. If it makes sense, then let private enterprise build it,” Benn said.

“For that amount of money, we could safeguard Kurri hospital, give our local bush fire brigades a much-needed boost or provide something for the local kids to do.

“Let’s look to the future, not the past.”

Gas Free Hunter Alliance said they would continue campaigning against the project proceeding.

“The current gas plant still needs to link in with the Sydney Newcastle pipeline, and that project is still before the NSW Planning Department,” Lee said.

“The gas plant doesn’t have any secure gas, so there’s still an opportunity to fight the pipeline even though it is disappointing news that the gas plant itself has received approval.”

The environmental impact statement for the Kurri Kurri lateral pipeline, which will supply the gas for the project, will be released this month.

If approved, construction for the plant will commence in July 2022, with estimated completion in July 2023.

Gas Free Hunter Alliance has encouraged the community to make a submission once the statement becomes available.

Maia O’Connor

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Dispute grows over former BHP land use From page 1 “The Newcastle Multi-Purpose Deepwater Terminal is an estimated $1.8 billion development to be entirely funded by private investors,” CEO Craig Carmody said.

“It will deliver more jobs in regional NSW, a reduction in unnecessary road and rail movements in and out of Sydney, and cheaper freight costs for importers and exporters across the state.”

Carmody said the Mayfield site had the capacity for a 2 million TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) per annum container terminal, a shipping channel that could accommodate vessels up to 10,000 TEU, and the capability of hosting larger vessels with some ancillary channel modifications.

State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp (ALP) slammed the NSW Government’s call for proposals characterising the move as a “deliberate attempt from the Liberal-National Government to protect the interests of themselves and their mates”.

“Since the NSW Government placed what the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission called an ‘anticompetitive and illegal clause’ on the contract when they sold the Port in 2014, which restricted container movement through the Port so it would not pose a competitive threat to Port Botany or Port Kembla to maximise the profits from their sale, the Government has thrown everything it can at stopping Port of Newcastle from proceeding with its development plans,” Crakanthorp said.

The provisions in the clause penalise Newcastle if it develops a large container terminal.

Port of Newcastle is currently working to overturn these provisions in the Newcastle, Port Botany and Port Kembla privatisation agreements.

Crakanthorp said the Government’s determination to block Port of Newcastle’s development was “out of control”.

“The Federal Government backs this project, Business Hunter backs it, the

Former BHP site during its remediation and infrastructure staging plans. The ‘Intertrade’ site is the 52-hectare piece of land in question Photo source: NSW Government

Conservative Advocacy Group Committee for the Hunter backs it, and the people of this region back it – the NSW Government is the only thing standing in the way,” Crakanthorp said.

“This says a lot about the state government’s attitude towards Newcastle and the Hunter, that they would prioritise a $20 million land sale over $2 billion in private investment and 19,000 jobs.”

Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon (ALP) said the NSW Government’s call for the sale of “critical Port access land” would ensure that “the development of a container terminal at the Port of Newcastle remained economically unviable”.

“This is a project that will generate more than 15,000 direct and indirect jobs, provide cheaper freight costs for importers and exporters across the state, reduce unnecessary road and rail movements in and out of Sydney, add

$1.3 billion to our regional economy, and $2.5 billion to the national economy,” Claydon said.

“This is a concerted effort to block investment, entrench private monopolies and put a massive brake on regional development and employment in Newcastle.

“I call on the Prime Minister to intervene … and insist on a level playing field amongst NSW ports and access to container trade.”

NovoNews reached out to the NSW Government for further comment, seeking a response to the claims.

“It’s both false and misleading to suggest that the repurposing of the Intertrade site (former BHP site) which adjoins the Port of Newcastle land is a move by the NSW Government to stop Port of Newcastle’s plans for a container terminal,” a spokesperson from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment said.

“The Department of Planning and Environment remains open to considering any proposal for the site put forward by any party, including Port of Newcastle, but any successful proposal must demonstrate how it would best contribute to our long-term strategic objectives for Newcastle and the Hunter region – namely boosting the local economy and jobs over the long term.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to kickstart a new industrial future for the region, and we look forward to reviewing a range of innovative proposals for the Intertrade site.”

The Registrations of Interest period begin on February 28 and will run for three weeks.

For more information on the Intertrade site and the Registrations of Interest process, visit the Department of Planning and Environment website.

Hayley McMahon

The proposed Multipurpose Deepwater Terminal Photo source: Port of Newcastle

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Council offers glimpse into New Annual festival City of Newcastle is offering a small glimpse into the cultural performances that are set to feature in this year’s New Annual festival.

Three performances originally commissioned by council for last year’s postponed New Annual have been rescheduled to March, allowing locals to whet their appetites for the official return of the festival from September 23 to October 2.

Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said maintaining support for the local arts community had been an important consideration when the decision was made to postpone last year’s event.

“After the success of the inaugural New Annual in February 2021, City of Newcastle was looking forward to following it up bigger and better in September last year before we made the tough call to postpone it in light of the growing COVID-19 case numbers at the time,” Cr Nelmes said.

“Despite our disappointment, we were committed to maintaining support for the local arts community, who have been heavily impacted during the past two years as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.”

Cr Nelmes said City of Newcastle was

thrilled to be able to include the performances and activities in March as an initiative of the COVID-19 Community and Economic Resilience Package.

“This decision enables upwards of 50 artists, musicians and performers to remain involved with these three events and benefit from the exposure and performance opportunities they provide.”

Novocastrian’s have been invited to explore the Indigenous roots of Carrington Foreshore with towering, illuminated puppets created by Curious Legends, in partnership with the local Worimi people.

The opportunity to meet local artists and take part in community art projects on the Studio Arts Trail in Hamilton will also be on offer, before the series of events will conclude with a “thoughtprovoking one-woman show” that summons the spirit of iconic French solider and Saint, Joan of Arc. “This will give people a chance to soak up Newcastle’s live events atmosphere with a taste of what’s to come when the full New Annual festival returns in September,” said Cr Nelmes.

More details can be found on the event website.

Information source: City of Newcastle

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and Councillor Carol Duncan pictured with Aunty Debbie Dates, Aunty Theresa Dargin and four generations of descendants of the Dates family, Marringal Clan of the Worimay Nation, Janie Gibson (Voices of Joan) and Mitchell Rees (Curious Legends) Photo source: City of Newcastle

From side hustle to small business success Novocastrians will have the chance to transform their business dreams into reality thanks to a new City of Newcastle small business incubator program.

Delivered as part of the City of Newcastle’s NewSkills training program, the intensive 12-week Side Hustle Bootcamp will provide 15 entrepreneurs with the opportunity to gain and develop their ideas into a viable business.

Many well-known and loved local businesses started as side hustles, including Cocoa Nib, Savant Apothecary and Eat Your Water.

Cocoa Nib owner and entrepreneur Aymee Slaviero said her successful artisan chocolate brand started as a passion for all things chocolate.

“I’m a trained pastry chef and have worked for some of Australia’s most renowned restaurants, but as a cultchocolate lover, I knew chocolate was my calling, and now I own and operate two artisan chocolate retail stores in Newcastle and the Hunter,” Slaviero said.

“Anyone with an idea big or small should register their interest in this program to gain the skills and confidence needed to take their idea to the next level.”

Small business training expert Giovanna Lever said the objective was for participants to finish the program with the skills, tools, and confidence needed to take their ideas

(L-R) Eat Your Water owner Liam Scanlan, Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen, Cocoa Nib owner Aymee Slaviero, and Savant Apothecary owner Kylie Myatt Photo supplied: City of Newcastle

to market successfully.

“Small business is the backbone of the economy, and thousands of Australian small businesses started as side hustles,” Lever said.

“Supporting these workshops will be a practical webinar, access to a curated national community of fellow side hustlers, tools to apply to your business idea and ongoing support throughout the program.”

Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen said Newcastle’s economic future was

built on Novocastrians’ talent, skills, and ingenuity.

“City of Newcastle sees the value of investing in micro-enterprise start-ups as a key part of our city’s economic development with over 40 per cent of employment in our economy generated from micro and small business enterprise,” Cr Clausen said.

“Investment in training through our NewSkills program will provide tangible benefits to the wider Newcastle community, by encouraging residents

to turn their side hustle business ideas into fledgling start-ups, whilst encouraging economic diversification.”

Small business experts have designed the Side Hustle Bootcamp program.

The program includes six group workshop sessions online and face-toface to bring the side hustle ideas to life.

Expressions of interest are now open; visit City of Newcastle’s website to apply.

Information source: City of Newcastle

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New walkway making waves at Redhead

The new walkway stretches for 500m from Webb Park at Redhead Photo: Lake Macquarie City

A revamped walkway traversing precious coastal ecosystems and spectacular views of Redhead Beach was unveiled by Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser on February 10.

The northern section of the Ken and Audrey Owens Walkway, which starts at Webb Park just south of Redhead Beach, has been closed for the past eight months to allow for complete pathway reconstruction.

The new update spans 500m of pathway and has a new raised deck installed along

its entire length.

Cr Fraser said the refurbished walkway was ideal for exercising, walking dogs, or bird-watching.

“I’m so glad this wonderful walkway is once again open to the community,” Cr Fraser said.

“It’s a magical feeling walking beneath the low canopy of trees as you leave Webb Park and head down towards the beach … with the birds and the waves just about all you can hear.”

Lake Macquarie City Council Community Assets Manager Brendan Callander said

the pathway travelled through threatened ecological communities, including freshwater wetlands and swamp forests.

“A range of threatened native species has been recorded nearby, including the powerful owl and the large bent-winged bat, so this really is a special place to preserve and appreciate,” Callander said.

The walkway travels through other important vegetation communities, including coastal tea-tree, coastal sand apple, blackbutt forest, freshwater sedgelands and beach spinifex.

Black-browed albatross, grey-headed

flying foxes and wandering albatross are other threatened species to frequent the area.

“The old walkway was at the end of its life cycle, and this new structure makes the path more accessible and more enjoyable and makes it easier to take in the flora, fauna and views,” Callander said.

Despite the walkway unveiling on February 10, not all work is officially complete with new seating due to be installed at the end of the month.

Information source: Media release, Lake Macquarie City Council

Singing and dancing will be back in vogue The NSW Government’s “staged and flexible” approach to easing COVID-19 restrictions will see settings change from the beginning of Friday, February 18.

Density limits have been completely dropped, which were previously one person per 2sqm for hospitality venues.

QR check-ins will only be required for nightclubs and music festivals with more than 1,000 people.

Hospitals, aged care and disability facilities may use their existing systems for recording visitors.

Singing and dancing will be permitted at all venues, except music festivals where singing and dancing will recommence from February 25.

The recommendation to work from home will change and be returned to the employer’s discretion.

Hotel quarantine for unvaccinated returning travellers will be reduced from 14 to seven days from February 21.

Then, from Friday, February 25, further adjustments will be made to the restrictions.

Masks will only be needed on public transport, planes, and indoors at airports, hospitals, aged and disability care facilities, corrections facilities, and indoor music festivals with more

than 1,000 people.

Masks are encouraged for indoor settings where you can’t keep a safe distance from others and customerfacing retail staff.

Each State Government agency will review where it may be appropriate for public-facing staff to wear masks and will implement as necessary.

The 20,000 person cap on music festivals will be removed, with singing and dancing permitted.

Vaccination requirements will remain for indoor music festivals over 1,000 people, with attendees required to have at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine.

A staged return of non-urgent elective surgery across all NSW public hospitals has commenced and will be increased through February to March.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government continued to adopt a flexible and measured approach to protect the community and the health system.

“These changes are measured and proportionate to the circumstances we find ourselves in and are particularly due, can I say, to the efforts of everybody across our state,” Perrottet said.

“Where we were sitting when we brought out those scenarios in our health system and the capacity within our health system, we are tracking

incredibly well.”

Perrottet said they didn’t want to enact restrictions for any longer than necessary, and with hospitalisation and ICU rates trending downwards, now was the time to make sensible changes.

“As we continue to move forward out of the pandemic, we are ensuring that we keep people safe and people in jobs so life can return to normal as quickly and safely as possible,” he said.

“Our frontline health staff have done an incredible job protecting the community, and we need everyone to step up and do the right thing and get their booster shots to help keep themselves, their family and the community safe.”

NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant said people should still prepare for more infections later this year.

“There will likely be further waves of COVID as vaccine and infection-derived immunity wanes,” Chant said.

“We need to be clear about this; even in the context of no new variants emerging, we can expect further waves.

“At the moment, we’ve seen a stabilisation of numbers with slowly declining hospital and ICU admissions.”

Information source: NSW Government

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New Move drives new jobs and new ideas Local jobs and economic input have already been created through the New Move program, which saw 30 creatives, innovators, and accomplished entrepreneurs relocate to Newcastle, bringing skills, talent, and diverse opportunities for the city.

The City of Newcastle developed the Australian-first economic stimulus program to incentivise people from Australia’s capital cities to move to Newcastle and invest in the city’s economic, cultural and community growth.

Targeted at a metropolitan audience, 30 successful applicants who met the eligibility criteria received a $10,000 relocation grant to be spent within the Newcastle local government area.

The recipients committed to becoming ambassadors for the city through event attendance, mentoring, volunteering and knowledge sharing, helping to develop local skills and create further economic opportunities.

The program provided the new residents with access to co-working spaces and networking events to build business and community connections, ensuring they had the best opportunity to help deliver economic and social returns to the city.

Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen

Co-founder Art Thinking Maria José Sanchez-Varela Barajas, Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen and pepperit owner Nicole Shelley Photo: City of Newcastle

said the attraction of skilled professionals under the New Move program had tangible benefits for the city.

“Newcastle’s position as an economic hub is driven by innovation and skills. By attracting new talent to the city, New Move is boosting Newcastle’s economy and creating new local jobs,” Cr Clausen said.

“The positive impacts of the relocation of 30 New Move grant recipients have already been felt, and REMPLAN economic modelling has shown that the program will create up to 75 new local jobs and up to $25 million in additional

local economic output.”

New Move grant recipient Nicole Shelley was born in Newcastle and returned to her hometown after 14 years in Sydney to expand her marketing agency, pepperit.

“Although I have lived away from Newcastle since 2007, I’ve witnessed the transformation the city has undergone to become a hub of innovation and creativity, which is one of the reasons I was attracted to move back,” Shelley said.

“Since moving to Newcastle, I have opened a local pepperit office,

employed three locals in full-time positions, and our business is currently supporting two internships for University of Newcastle students, with plans to grow our team to eight within 12 months.

“I look forward to continuing to give back to the local community and am eager to play a part in the ongoing transformation of this amazing city.”

Newcastle’s newest residents have relocated from across the globe and throughout Australia.

Some are from Sydney and Melbourne, and others returned to Australia for the New Move program from Hong Kong and The Netherlands.

Co-founder of Art Thinking Maria José Sanchez-Varela Barajas moved from Mexico and has already helped bring festivals and ideas to Newcastle.

“I love the way that culture and heritage are embraced throughout global destinations like Singapore, Dubai and Barcelona, to create a unique vibrancy through art, science and innovation, and I see the same potential in Newcastle, which is why I made the move here,” Sanchez-Varela Barajas said.

“For me, Newcastle has the perfect combination of creativity, a great location, art, innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive within, and I’m keen to play my role in driving innovation and new ideas forward.”

Information source: City of Newcastle

University building awarded world-leading 6 Star rating The University of Newcastle’s Q Building has become the first building in regional NSW to achieve a 6 Star Green Star certified rating.

The 6 Star Green Star ‘Design and As Built’ certified rating is the highest level awarded by Green Star, an internationally recognised rating system setting the standard for healthy, resilient, positive buildings and places founded by the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA).

The Q Building, which opened in June last year, is now home to the School of Humanities, Creative Industries and Social Sciences (HCISS) and Integrated Innovation Network (I2N).

Classes at Q Building will start in Semester 1, although some HCISS activities are already underway, and I2N is also operating on Level 3.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Zelinsky said the world-leading certification confirmed that the $25M building was more than just a creative and entrepreneurial hub but an aspiration for the university, the city and the region’s sustainable future.

“This is a wonderful achievement for our university – it shows our commitment to sustainability and is evidence we are embedding the UN Sustainable

The Q Building is the first stage of the university’s new Honeysuckle City Campus Photo: Supplied

Development Goals, focusing on energy and carbon use, and waste and recycling,” he said.

“As an institution, we had set out to achieve a new build being 6 Star certified by 2025, so Q Building puts us well in advance of the targets in our Environmental Sustainability Plan.

“From here on, all new university buildings will be designed and built for

6 Star’ Design and As Built’ rating, which is a significant step on the road toward the university being carbon neutral by 2025.”

As outlined by Green Star, this ‘Design and As Built’ rating is recognition that Q Building not only began as a good design but followed through on that design during the construction process.

While the building features a concrete

core, its remaining internal structure was built using sustainably sourced, cross-laminated timber, much of which is visible from outside the building.

The Q Building is the first multi-storey timber building in Newcastle, capturing carbon, creating minimal waste and supporting the HVAC system to moderate humidity inside the building.

Additionally, the three sides of the building, which have the highest exposure to the sun (east, north and west), have been glazed with an electrochromic smart-glass system called Sage Glass, which automatically changes its tint to respond to heat and glare.

These elements were achieved through the help of partners EJE Architecture, Hansen Yuncken, WSP and APP. “The University of Newcastle’s Q Building is a brilliant, world-leading example of how Green Star can be applied within the education sector and is testimony to the university’s commitment to sustainability,” said CEO of GBCA, Davina Rooney.

“This is the first certified 6-star Green Star – Design, and As Built project in regional NSW and with innovation at its core from the outset, it certainly sets the benchmark for future developments of this kind.”

Information source: University of Newcastle

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“We’re at the end of our tether”;

It is the first time that nurses and midwives across the state have initiative strike action in a decade Photo: Hayley McMahon, NovoNews

From page 1 Hundreds of nurses and midwives from across the Hunter New England Health district walked off the job on February 15 as part of statewide strike action to highlight the NSW Government’s refusal to negotiate safe staffing in public hospitals.

Despite a statewide order to cancel demonstrations by the Industrial Relation Commission, NSW Nurses and Midwives Association (NSWNMA) members from 23 branches in the Hunter New England Local Health District attended the strike at Newcastle’s Civic Park.

They implored the NSW Premier, Dominic Perrottet, to implement shift by shift nursing and midwifery staffing for safe patient care.

In a media release on February 11, NSWNMA General Secretary, Brett Holmes, said the strike was a culmination of ten years of inaction by the government and its refusal to negotiate with nurses and midwives to secure safe staffing during hospital shifts.

“Our members have signalled how fed up they are with the NSW Government for continuing to ignore the need for nurseto-patient ratios on every shift, similar to those already working successfully in Queensland and Victoria,” Holmes said.

“What we’re asking for is not unreasonable. nurse-to-patient ratios do save lives and result in better patient outcomes.”

Thousands of nurses and midwives from more than 150 public hospitals and health

services planned to strike statewide after 99 per cent of the NSWNMA branches voted in favour of strike action.

“Nurses and midwives across NSW have had to fight to be safe at work during the current pandemic,” said Holmes, adding that “fit testing, workers’ compensation and leave entitlements have been a constant battle under this government,” Holmes said.

“Working conditions have deteriorated as staff vacancies increased, admissions have skyrocketed, and untrained staff have been introduced into care models.”

He said all of this impacted the level of care nurses and midwives could provide to patients in the health system.

In addition to their request for nurse-topatient ratios in every hospital, Holmes confirmed NSWNMA members were seeking a fair pay rise above 2.5 per cent for recognition of nurses and midwives’ workloads during the pandemic and to compensate for their wage freeze in 2020.

The union is also seeking a withdrawal of the amendment to the Workers Compensation Act that would force workers to prove they contracted COVID-19 at work.

Holmes said that COVID-19 had exacerbated the failings of the NSW health system and highlighted the “disrespect” shown to nurses and midwives by the state government.

“The platitudes will not be enough to sustain our already fatigued and diminished health workforce,” Holmes said.

Hunter nurses paint bleak picture of a system under strain NSWNMA union organiser, John Paul Marx, led the emotionally-charged rally in

Newcastle’s CBD. “Nurses and midwives across the state have been expected to cope with illprepared consequences of a let it rip strategy, a strategy that has overwhelmed our health system and resulted in 1000 lives lost to COVID-19 in NSW alone,” Marx said.

“Comrades we say to the government, enough is enough. The time to act has come, and it is now.

“This government is on notice that nurses and midwives will take further actions until our ratio claim is won.”

The NSWNMA has insisted on a 1:3 nurse to patient ratio in emergency departments and a 1:4 nurse to patient ratio on the floor.

Marx said that patient loads were currently anything from 1:6 or 1:10.

NSWNMA Branch Secretary at Maitland Mental Health Unit, Laura Kibble, painted ableakpictureofthephysicalconsequences local nurses have endured in the work environment.

“There are members of my branch who have been slapped, punched, kicked, spat on, strangled and been sexually assaulted in our workplace,” Kibble said.

“We’ve been bruised, we’ve lost teeth, we’ve broken bones, and we’ve experienced symptoms of psychological distress including nightmares and panic attacks around coming to work.”

She insisted that safe staffing ratios were the “only reliable and effective solution in the workplace”.

Kibble also revealed personal disillusionment with a profession she once loved.

“I do not feel proud to be a nurse today.

I became a nurse because I wanted to serve my community,” Kibble said.

“I wanted to transform people’s lives, so every time I have to fob a patient off because I’m too busy with a time-limited task to do my job and listen to them, my heart breaks again.”

Kibble also said the government’s meagre provision of duress alarms and cameras for staff safety and protection, saying the measures are inadequate as “technology fails”.

“All of us in my branch know that when we have the opportunity to know patients well, we recognise the early warning signs, and we can intervene before a patient is unwell enough [to put themselves or nurses at risk],” Kibble said.

John Hunter Nurse and branch secretary Joanne Patterson, who has been working in the profession for over 40 years, said that simple nurse comradeship had held the system together.

“We as nurses have always supported each other, and this is what these governments have relied on – that we always pick up extra shifts or did the overtime because we wouldn’t let our mates down,” Patterson said.

Current arrangement a “dirty secret”, says local nurse NSWNMA Branch Secretary at Maitland Hospital, Kathy Chapman, lamented the “ridiculous arrangement” that was nurse hours to patient days, which results in inadequate patient care and inevitable neglect.

Chapman said she was passionate about seeing the current nursing hours arrangement replaced by a nurse to patient ratio.

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nurses and midwives strike at Civic Park

John Hunter nurse and NSWNMA member Joanne Patterson said nurse comradeship underpinned collective staff endurance in a “failing system” Photo: Hayley McMahon, NovoNews

“The biggest thing is we’re looking for safe patient care, and we can get that with a ratio agreement,” she said.

The nursing hours per patient day is the current industrial award NSW hospitals operate under, which dictate how the government provides public facilities with funding for nurses to care for patients.

“At Maitland hospital, for every patient we have at midnight, the government will provide funding of six hours nursing care … so that equals about 2 hours per shift for each patient if you’ve only got four patients,” Chapman said.

“We want ratios, so one nurse looks after four in a ward, then that could be mandated.

“If the policy is changed to suit the demands of the NSWNMA, it won’t be legally possible for hospitals to allocate a particular nurse with extra patients like current practice allows.

“If we have a nurse away from the hospital, we can’t always replace that nurse, so then one nurse may be looking after 10-12 patients for a few hours until that nurse returns.

“It really is a dirty little secret that the government hides … I think once everyone understands nursing hours and how ineffective and how unsafe it is, nothing will stop us from moving forward.”

At the Newcastle Civic Park rally on February 15, it was also revealed that midwives were responsible for up to six mothers and six newborns during a shift.

“Midwives can actually have six mothers that might have one to two babies each … but the babies don’t actually count as part of their care,” Chapman said.

“Some babies are born unhealthy and require a lot of care so that the midwives may be looking after six women and six to 10 babies as well. That’s unusual for people to have twins, but regardless, babies matter.

“It’s not just about nurses, it impacts patients… nurses can’t split themselves in two, so [patients] are waiting longer for their medications, for showering and even just basic hygiene care.

“I can’t believe our community don’t realise what the government is actually doing … we’re sick of it, and we’re at the

end of our tether.”

The strike is the first-time nurses and midwives have walked off the job in nearly a decade.

NSW Government ignores pleas NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet dismissed calls for staffing ratios similar to those enacted in Queensland and Victoria.

“The advice that I’ve received is that there are substantive challenges to that, and it hasn’t actually worked so well in other states,” he said.

“What I want is reasonable, robust discussions to get outcomes. Let’s not play politics. We don’t want to get back to the old union games.”

He said he would support nurses’ rights to industrial action but did not want to see a year of rolling strikes.

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard labelled the nurses and midwives strike over pay and work conditions as “unfortunate” and warned that those participating might face disciplinary action after defying the Industrial Relation Commission order against protesting.

Hazzard ruled out improving staff to patient ratios, suggesting it would cost the state $1B. “We are doing everything we can on that front … we’re trying to find a way forward to make sure there’s some further recognition of the amazing work nurses and midwives do,” Hazzard said.

“But the union is asking for (greater nurse to patient ratios) … it would cost a billion dollars when we already spend 30 per cent of the state’s budget on health.

“It would mean we would have nurses sitting in empty wards when there are no patients because it would come down to the ratio.”

Alongside the Newcastle Rally, other major regional rallies occurred in Sydney, Bathurst, Bega, Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Newcastle and Tamworth.

The NSWNMA has reiterated its willingness to hold discussions with the NSW Premier and has not ruled out further action over the coming months to secure safe working conditions for its members.

Maia O’Connor

23 NSWNMA branches from across the HNE health district participated in the rally at Civic Park Photo: Hayley McMahon, NovoNews

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Latest Novocastrian initiative a beacon of hope for frontline workers

It’s been no secret that over the past two years, frontline workers and other healthcare staff across the nation have experienced increased pressure and higher levels of emotional stress as a result of the enduring COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent initiative by local organisation The Newcastle Beacon has emerged to express gratitude for the hard work and sacrifices health staff have displayed and to provide support for the battle ahead.

“At the moment, we’re doing drop-offs to ambulance stations and emergency departments – we’re doing gift hampers and providing them to some of the front line carers and supporters,” said paramedic and The Newcastle Beacon volunteer Shane Harris.

“It’s all about community spirit and the sense of community – it says, ‘here we are, we’re here to thank you for all you’ve done for our community … rest on our shoulders for a while.”

The initiative is currently seeking donations for the small luxuries, including gift cards, movie tickets and meal vouchers.

“It just goes that little bit further than a thank you,” Harris said.

The Newcastle Beacon is a network of organisations, professionals, and volunteers with the common goal of supporting frontline workers, veterans, and their families in Newcastle and the Hunter.

The team includes social workers, welfare officers and advocates, veterans, first responders and family members of those in the community who serve.

“The Newcastle Beacon was born out of the willingness to try and provide thanks to people in the front line of the

Volunteers at the Newcastle Beacon delivered 240 hampers and 492 meals to service workers across the Hunter last year Photo source: The Newcastle Beacon

COVID battle; it was really to say that ‘we acknowledge what you’re going through and we thank you.”

The value of The Newcastle Beacon has since expanded to include all personnel in a community service role.

This spans from individuals associated with the Rural Fire Service, Marine Rescue, and healthcare professionals to corrective services staff, SES volunteers, Defence Force personnel and their families.

Despite the large demographic The Newcastle Beacon serves, it relies purely on community support.

“We don’t currently get any funding stream – we just completely look for community and corporate support,” Harris said.

“The impact is far-reaching, supporting the community [more broadly] – if it’s a voucher for a restaurant or café, it would, in turn, support other industries that are struggling.”

A core tenet of The Newcastle Beacon is its ability to offer support that champions lived experience.

“Through lived experience, where you’re struggling even to do your shoelaces to go to work, sometimes it’s nice just to have that support.”

Volunteer support can be accessed at

The Newcastle Beacon’s drop-in centre on Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30 am to 2.30 pm.

Harris also said the offering was valuable as it was separate from workplace organisations’ support. “[Staff] have support networks and agencies [at work] … but we provide separate support and care from peers that have lived experiences,” Harris said.

“What we do well is dovetail people into what support might be right for them.

“If someone’s really struggling, providing them a roadmap of where to go next for support, what might work for them in their situation, that’s an important thing.”

The largest-ever survey released by Beyond Blue in 2018 found that emergency workers had much higher levels of mental distress than the general population.

One in three had high or very high psychological distress, and one in four former responders had probable Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Veterans also experienced higher rates of suicide.

Harris said the organisation wasn’t exclusively assisting service individuals but also their families, who often bear

some of the burdens.

“Some workers have partners and family working in areas like hospitality, where the family income has been really adversely affected as well.”

Despite disruptions that have arisen for the service due to COVID, The Newcastle Beacon is gradually looking to revive previous support offerings.

“We’re slowly bringing back programs that we’ve had previously, like our yoga program, and that’s free for first responders and others who support the community,” Harris said.

“Emerging out of COVID, we’ll be able to do more practical things like that, like live music nights, exercise programs and gym sessions.”

2021 proved to be a huge year for the organisation, with a total of 231 community personnel visiting the drop-in centre, 1,086 peer support hours offered, and 690 hours volunteered for crisis support.

In addition, 240 food hampers and 492 frozen meals were delivered to workers locally.

However, one thing Harris wants to see this year was a greater sense of optimism offered for healthcare workers specifically.

“For healthcare workers particularly, I think going out of the pandemic with a sense of optimism moving forward – that’s really important.”

Novocastrians interested in supporting the initiative can drop donations to The Newcastle Beacon’s office in Wallsend.

Alternatively, State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp has also offered his CBD office as a collection point, as well as State Member for Wallsend Sonia Hornery.

Maia O’Connor

Progress Pride Flag raised at City Hall The Progress Pride Flag was flown for the first time at Newcastle City Hall on February 17 to support the LGBTQI+ community and coincide with the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

The Progress Pride Flag will be flown together with the Australian, United Nations, NSW, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at City Hall for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras until March 6.

It will also be flown to coincide with future days and events, including International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia, Pride Month, Wear it Purple Day, Newcastle Pride Festival and Trans Day of Remembrance.

The Progress Pride Flag incorporates the existing six-coloured Rainbow Flag, widely recognised as the symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) communities.

The flag also includes a multicoloured chevron representing trans, nonbinary and gender diverse people.

The chevron comprises black and brown for Indigenous people and people of colour, as well as white, pink

Indigenous leader Aunty Theresa Dargin, Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes, Deputy Lord Mayor Declan Clausen, Newcastle Pride President Lee-Anne McDougall, Newcastle Pride Vice President Hellen Richards and City of Newcastle Diversity and Inclusion Partner Stefanie Abrahams with the Progress Pride Flag before it was raised at City Hall Photo: City of Newcastle

and blue, the colours of the Trans Pride Flag.

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said the importance of celebrating the diverse community could not be underestimated at a time when fostering inclusivity is

one of the main priorities.

“City of Newcastle is committed to ensuring our city celebrates diversity and advocates for inclusivity in support of our LGBTIQ+ community,” Cr Nelmes said.

“As the city with the highest ‘Yes’ vote in regional Australia in support of marriage equality, we want to ensure that our community feels safe and supported, which is why we’ll be flying the Progress Pride Flag on days and for events that hold significance amongst Newcastle’s LGBTIQ+ community.

“Flying the flag demonstrates to our local lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer community members that our city stands with them, not only during Mardi Gras but at all times.

“I’m incredibly proud to witness the flying of the Progress Pride Flag, which has become a widely recognised symbol to represent all LGBTIQ+ community members, for the first time at Newcastle’s City Hall.”

City of Newcastle has demonstrated support of the LGBTIQ+ community through several initiatives in recent years, including the establishment of a rainbow walk in Islington Park, support of the ‘yes’ campaign and marriage equality and sponsorship of Newcastle Pride Festival.

Information source: City of Newcastle

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A beacon of visibility for Newcastle Pride

Newcastle Pride secured the van with help from State MP Tim Crakanthorp Photo source: Newcastle Pride

The acquisition of a new van to Newcastle Pride has become a beacon of visibility for the organisation, signalling the start of some big things to come.

Newcastle Pride unveiled their new Pride Van on January 29, which will be used to transport equipment between local events and pride festivals around Australia and for general community advocacy.

“We intend to travel to different locations across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie and the Hunter where people can come meet the team and collect general information about Newcastle Pride and also LGBTIQA+ Resources from leading organisations and businesses such as ACON and Headspace,” said Newcastle Pride Founder and President Lee-Anne McDougall.

“The van is a massive step for us, and it’s something I never thought we’d even achieve when I started Newcastle Pride in 2018… I had no idea it would become this big.”

The not-for-profit said the van wouldn’t have been possible without the help of State Member for Newcastle Tim Crakanthorp, who was responsible for awarding the Community Building Partnership grant to the deserving organisation.

“We’re so grateful to have received this grant funding,” McDougall said.

“It’s now going to allow us to inject so many additional funds into other events for the community because we’re not going to have to pay to hire vehicles… we can’t say how grateful we are.”

McDougall said the new van would

make the job easier for everyone involved in the organisation, including the volunteers.

“I don’t think people see what goes on behind the scenes, [previously] we had to go to the storage shed in the early morning or night before the event and load a rental van,” McDougall said.

“Usually, the group would have to return the van to hire companies before the hire period ended.

“So, this new van is a big benefit for us.”

Crakanthorp said it was a pleasure to give to an organisation that did so much good in the local community.

“A van may not seem like a big deal, but it will actually make a huge difference for Newcastle Pride and will allow them to direct money that had previously been spent on transporting gear back into outreach and advocacy,” Crakanthorp said. “[The van is] so visible, it’s out there, and it’s a lot of fun too.”

Newcastle Pride added that the van was a much-needed beacon of visibility, as the organisation hadn’t been able to promote its cause recently due to COVID-19 lockdowns.

“Over the last two years we have not been able to host the Newcastle Pride festival, it’s been pretty quiet and a bit depressing because we’d start to put the festival together, and of course, the time would come, and we’d have to make the heart-wrenching decision to cancel due to COVID-19,” McDougall said.

“So, in terms of visibility, we haven’t been out there as much, so this is great for people to see us.

“Our big gay van is a beacon that we’re still here, and we’re driving around, so give us a wave and come say hello!”

The van is just the start of some exciting progress for the organisation, with McDougall sharing that Newcastle Pride had already initiated plans to secure a permanent premise.

After gaining inspiration from a recently built hub in Victoria called the Victorian Pride Centre, McDougall said Newcastle Pride had ambitions for a similar site locally.

“We’ve recently submitted a snapshot of a proposal to council… and we’re still putting together a full proposal at the moment to build a similar hub in Newcastle.”

McDougall said the organisation hoped to secure a vacant building in Newcastle or build one entirely from scratch.

“It’ll have to be funded through government grants, sponsorship and of course, down the track, organisations will pay rent to have a space in the building to keep it afloat,” McDougall said.

“It would be amazing- there would be an information centre, café, free WiFi with terminals where people can do work if they need to, and maybe a little bar area.”

McDougall said the Hunter currently lacked a venue that specifically catered to the LGBTIQA+ community and said the lacking provision contributed to the conception of Newcastle Pride.

“That was my aim when I started Newcastle pride; it was to one day get our community a hub, a place, a home,” McDougall said.

“While we can go to any club and be welcomed, you still experience harassment, and it’s quite uncomfortable.

“Whereas generally when you’ve got a dedicated venue, you’re safe in that space, and you’re less likely to be harassed.”

While the newest project would take time, McDougall said they had their sights set on a more achievable goal to facilitate further community support.

“In the meantime, Newcastle Pride itself is putting together a smaller proposal as we need a space for ourselves,” McDougall said.

“Newcastle Pride’s office has been my kitchen table for four years, and we’re growing so quickly, so it’s really time for us to try to get our own space and make a small hub for people to go to.”

McDougall described the organisation’s next goal as a “stepping stone” in achieving a more permanent role in the local area and further helping the community.

In another recent win for the organisation, McDougall revealed Newcastle Pride had just been granted registered charity status.

“This status takes us up another level.

There’s so much more [opportunity] now for sponsors, grants and other things.”

The organisation’s newly granted charity status, paired with its new van and 2022 vision, will prove to be a formidable combination for the future of Newcastle Pride.

More information on Newcastle Pride and its planned events can be found via their Facebook page or website.

Maia O’Connor

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Newcastle Business School earns international acclaim The University of Newcastle’s Business School has earned an international accreditation becoming one of the best providers of business education in the world.

European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) Quality Improvement System (EQUIS) Accreditation is a leading international quality assessment system and improvement of higher education institutions in management and business administration.

The Newcastle Business School is now one of only three business schools in NSW, accredited by both EQUIS and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Dean and Head of Newcastle Business School, Professor Abul Shamsuddin, said that EQUIS Accreditation was a huge achievement, providing the Newcastle Business School with a stamp of excellence.

“This prestigious accreditation reflects the Newcastle Business School’s high standards and confirms our position as a leading provider of quality education,” Professor Shamsuddin said.

“Our school is committed to inspiring

The University of Newcastle’s NUspace building and home to the Newcastle Business School Photo: University of Newcastle

and developing the next generation of business leaders and policymakers, and we are proud that our efforts have been internationally recognised in this way.”

Professor Shamsuddin said EQUIS

accreditation ensured a rigorous quality control process, benchmarking schools against international standards.

“As the Accreditation Board recognised, ethics, responsibility, and

sustainability play a central role in the mission of the Newcastle Business School and are embedded across research and learning, inclusive policies, and community outreach,” Professor Shamsuddin said.

“The accreditation reinforces that our School strives to make a difference by addressing some of the great challenges society is facing both regionally and globally.”

Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the College of Human and Social Futures Professor John Fischetti said the University of Newcastle was very proud of the hardearned achievement.

“We can now proudly say with confidence that we have one of the top Business Schools in the world,” Professor Fischetti said.

In its assessment, the Accreditation Board commended the Newcastle Business School for focusing on studentcentred, research-driven teaching with a mission to advance responsible and impactful business knowledge.

There are currently 204 EQUIS accredited schools across 45 countries globally.

Hayley McMahon

BHP helps fund university’s sustainable steelmaking research BHP will extend its research partnership with the University of Newcastle, committing $10M in funding to support ongoing studies into decarbonising the steelmaking process.

The extended research program at the university’s Centre for Ironmaking Materials Research (CIMR) will focus on low carbon iron and steelmaking using BHP’s iron ore and metallurgical coal.

In addition to BHP’s US $400M Climate Investment Program, the $10M will last five years and help train the next generation of PhD researchers and engineers.

University of Newcastle ViceChancellor Professor Alex Zelinsky welcomed the funding extension and said the ongoing work at Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) would help drive the type of home-grown innovation needed for the world to decarbonise.

“With sustainability as a core focus, we are deeply committed to supporting research and innovation aimed at lowering our global carbon footprint,” Professor Zelinsky said.

“This continued partnership with BHP is a clear example of the university’s commitment to driving technological advancement through industryengaged research, and we are pleased

BHP’s commitment to University of Newcastle comes amidst a global push to cut emissions in the steel industry Photo source: Shutterstock

to continue with BHP’s legacy of innovation at our dedicated NIER precinct.

“A partnership of this kind – with both a rich history and a bright future – is evidence of our well-earned place as the No. 1 university in Australia for industry collaboration.”

BHP’s commitment comes amidst a global push to cut emissions in the steel industry and includes conventional blast

furnace ironmaking alongside hydrogen and alternative low carbon technologies.

BHP Sales & Marketing Vice President Dr Rod Dukino said the type of research undertaken by NIER was vital in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Greenhouse gas emissions from steelmaking represent around 7-10 per cent of global total estimated emissions, and the industry remains one of the most difficult sectors in the world to

abate,” Dr Dukino said.

“Research and innovation have a critical role to play in accelerating the industry’s transition to a low carbon future.

“The expanded research program with the University of Newcastle complements BHP’s existing partnerships with our key steelmaking customers in China, Japan and South Korea.”

Dukino revealed BHP was currently pursuing a long-term goal of net-zero Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“Recognising the particular challenge of a net-zero pathway for this hard-toabate sector, we are continuing to partner with customers and others in the steel value chain to seek to accelerate the transition to carbon-neutral steelmaking.”

The BHP company has a long history with the City of Newcastle and the University of Newcastle, dating back to the commencement of collaborative iron and steel research in 1957.

The 2010 establishment of the primary research facility, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) was another major step in BHP’s support for the local community and for steelmaking research.

Information source: University of Newcastle

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Pawsome news for animals across the state The NSW Legislative Assembly has passed the Companion Animals Amendment (Rehoming Animals) Bill 2021 in an important first step towards further safeguarding impounded animals across the state.

RSPCA NSW has commended every effort to introduce additional checks and balances in the animal welfare sector and has now welcomed the positive impacts the Bill will have on impounded animals.

“This is a huge step in the right direction and will help build on a lot of the good work that many councils have already achieved,” said RSPCA NSW CEO Steve Coleman.

“Every animal deserves a fair go at a second chance, and we can only achieve this by working together.

“More than anything, this Bill sets up the framework for a solid network dedicated to saving more animals lives.”

The amendment outlines the steps a council must take towards rehoming a seized or surrendered animal, including working with rehoming organisations, to provide impounded animals the chance to be rehomed.

The proposed reforms include: • Before action is taken to destroy a seized or surrendered animal, councils must give written notice to at least two rehoming organisations to inform them that the animal is available for rehoming and take reasonable steps to advertise the animal as available for rehoming. The written notice must specify the period of time, not less

The new Bill will give surrendered and seized animals a second chance Photo: Dog Rescue Newcastle

than seven days from the date the notice is given, during which the animal is available for rehoming.

• If a rehoming organisation, whether or not the organisation was given written notice, provides the council written notice that it is able to rehome an animal, the council must not destroy the animal and must make arrangements to transfer the animal to the organisation for rehoming.

• Councils must keep records that identify animals that have been rehomed. Councils must also keep records that identify animals that have been destroyed, with a record of the actions that council took to rehome the animal and alternative action the council considered before destroying the animal.

Coleman has welcomed the opportunity

to work with the Minister for Local Government Wendy Tuckerman on the implementation of the Bill to ensure the accompanying regulations assist councils and rehoming organisations to best achieve the Bill’s intent.

This includes highlighting several important welfare considerations for inclusion in the regulations: • That the onus must be on councils to ensure a rehoming organisation has the capacity to take the animals they are giving to them, to avoid overcrowding and hoarding, and to ensure the rescue is exercising responsible rehoming practices before additional animals are sent into their care.

• The need for detailed information to be required in the notice sent by a

council to a rehoming organisation, including the animal’s microchip number, age, weight, breed, physical condition assessment, behaviour assessment, and information on how the council came to take care of the animal.

• The need to allow shelters to opt in or out of the scheme. There are many reasons a particular shelter may wish to be in or out of this scheme, and it is appropriate that they have the ability to choose what works for them given the operational impacts they may soon face.

Coleman said he was concerned to see a last-minute change made to the amendment, which places the onus and financial burden of transporting animals between facilities on the shoulders of shelters and rehoming organisations.

“This will impact rescues that are already time-poor and under-resourced, often relying on donations and volunteers to ensure animals are cared for,” Coleman said.

“It is our hope that this will not impact the ability for councils and animal rescue organisations to create cost-sharing agreements between them, as many already do.

“These changes once again show the reliance of the NSW Government and the local government sector on animal rehoming charities and organisations, and we continue to advocate for additional resourcing to help rescue organisations care for all creatures great and small.”

Information source: RSPCA

Local business collaborates with charity to help DV victims Local workspace provider WOTSO in Newcastle West has partnered with the DV Safe Phone charity, facilitating phone access for victims of domestic violence.

Each of WOTSO’s 19 sites nationally, including its Newcastle West location, will have a collection point that can safely store phones and cables while also sharing information about the work of the DV Safe Phone charity.

The initiative operates with the aim to significantly increase the collection of used or unwanted working mobile phones to be repurposed and given to victims of domestic violence.

Joint Managing Director of WOTSO, Jessie Glew, believes that the partnership will be far-reaching.

“WOTSO is home to hundreds of Australian businesses, and each of those businesses will have old phones at some stage of their business lifecycle,” Glew said.

“We hope by being a collection point for DV Safe Phones, we lift the awareness around domestic violence whilst also helping victims get a vital piece of infrastructure.”

In a media release on February 16, DV

WOTSO Newcastle is now just one of 19 collections points for DV Safe Phone Photo: Supplied

Safe Phone and WOTSO advised that they have a shared commitment to offer innovative solutions to community challenges and a desire to help victims of abuse and domestic violence access crisis support.

Established in response to COVID-19 lockdowns, DV Safe Phone collects,

repurposes and gifts mobile devices to victims of domestic violence and distributes them to victims through partnerships with registered charities, safe houses, and law enforcement authorities who serve the vulnerable community daily.

To date, the charity has provided over

1,805 safe phones to victims, enabling them to access help when in danger.

DV Safe Phone Founder and CEO Ashton Wood explained that DV Safe Phone offers a practical and easy way to assist vulnerable men and women in the community. ‘’I remember being shocked and overwhelmed to learn that there are over two million known victims of domestic violence in Australia,” Wood said.

“Phones are often the first thing smashed, taken, or monitored by a perpetrator, leaving victims with no way to signal for support and help.

“Behind every statistic is a life at risk, and DV Safe Phone’s vision is to get a safe phone into the hands of every victim in need.

“This is a Goliath challenge that can only be achieved through strong community partnerships with like-minded organisations, like WOTSO.” As well as giving unwanted phones, people can also donate funds via WOTSO, with all funds being used to cover the cost of phone processing, repairs, and phone credit.

Maia O’Connor

18 OVOSOCIETYFEBRUARY ISSUE 011 P14novonews.com.au

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New cycleway connects Newcastle and Lake Mac A landmark shared pathway from Speers Point to Glendale is now complete, offering cyclists an undisrupted route from Eleebana to the University of Newcastle and beyond.

The project cost $10.5m and includes upgraded pedestrian crossings, new kerb sections and more than 15,000 plants and trees. Photo source: Lake Macquarie City.

The 4.6-kilometre path starts at Speers Point Park, running parallel to Cockle Creek before following Lake Road and skirting homes in Argenton and later, Waratah Golf Club.

Lake Macquarie City Council Infrastructure Assets Strategy Coordinator Simon Gulliver said the pathway continued to the end of Frederick Street in Glendale, linking with the existing Tramway Track to Wallsend.

The track creates an almost wholly offroad 18km route from Eleebana to the university and a 14.3-kilometre route from Booragul to the university.

“That makes this a project of real significance, not just for recreational cyclists and walkers, but for commuters looking for a cheaper, healthier option than driving,” Gulliver said.

“The mostly flat terrain, off-road pathway and scenery at the Speers Point end also make it a really enjoyable ride.”

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said the city was now home to more than 115km of off-road shared paths.

“This kind of infrastructure promotes healthy lifestyles, improves our environment by taking cars off the road

The project cost $10.5m and includes upgraded pedestrian crossings, new kerb sections and more than 15,000 plants and trees Photo source: Lake Macquarie City

and provides important links between suburbs,” she said.

“It is an important step in our region’s roll-out of sustainable commuter transport options.”

The $10.5 million total project cost included upgraded pedestrian crossings, new kerb and gutter in sections, construction of a 550m fence along the golf course and more than 15,000 new shrubs, trees and plants.

University of Newcastle Chief Operating Officer David Toll said encouraging people away from cars and towards alternative transport options was among some of the university’s long-term sustainability goals.

“With recently completed cycleways in the Newcastle LGA, this creates a safe, realistic, and rapid way of getting from

A to B for university students and staff based in Lake Macquarie,” Toll said.

Valentine resident Alex Dare, an IT services manager at the university, is among the commuters who will take advantage of the new shared path to get to work.

He said the 22km ride now takes him less than an hour, door-to-door.

“You used to have to ride along Lake Road, and with not much of a hard shoulder, all the cars and a bit of a dodgy road surface, it was pretty dangerous,” Dare said.

“So to be able to come along the back, away from the traffic is fantastic.”

Seating and drinking fountains have been installed at intervals for path users, along with interpretive signage.

Newcastle Cycleways Movement Vice

President Peter Lee said filling in the gap between the Warners Bay-Speers Point shared path and the Tramway Track had been identified as a top priority by Council’s Cycling Advisory Group as far back as 2012.

“The long-held vision of Newcastle Cycleways Movement of linking these two projects has come to fruition,” he said.

“This is an essential link in the CycleSafe Network vision.”

The project’s completion coincides with the launch of a new online cycling map, providing an overview of cycling routes throughout Lake Macquarie and Newcastle, whether they are off-road or on-road and their level of difficulty.

Information source: Lake Macquarie City Council

DOWN IN THE GARDEN: Create Your Own Home Nursery Business The most successful of these home-based plant people are discovering what the marketplace of any field already knows, specialising is the key to attracting customers.

This week we meet two Central Coast locals who have used their green thumbs and plant passion to create income streams, but first, let’s explore what you need to consider if you wish to create a successful home nursery at your place.

How to Begin

CHERALYN DARCEY

Many of us have turned to our gardens in these times for peace but a few have also found prosperity out amongst the green leaves and petals as a booming botanical industry opens new opportunities.

If you venture online, you can find plants and plant related merchandise increasingly sold by home businesses.

Go to any weekend market and you are bound to find someone selling plants and more and more are creating thriving online garden centres.

It starts with you.

What do you currently have in time and resources? Begin with this and then build up.

I’ve met many home gardeningrelated business people and all of the successful ones began with either nothing or a very small foundation that they built upon.

They gave themselves the opportunity to pace and meet the market.

Going in hard and big, spending up on infrastructure and resources before you even know if you are on the right track is usually a big gamble that unfortunately leads many to disaster.

What you can see is popular now, most likely will not be by the time you have established yourself in

the marketplace.

By starting small and building your business, you can find your niche without losing vast sums of money and time in the process.

What Will You Grow Most successful ventures start with a defined passion, and I believe this is because you are much more likely to give your all to something you truly believe in and want to be around every day.

Even Bill Gates was just a guy who saw an opportunity in his love for computers.

Which plant or group of plants do you really have the most interest in? If you can’t answer that question, then start researching and with your feet.

Go and look at other gardens, find out all you can about plants that take your eye.

Look at the current market and while acknowledging what is currently trending, look for similar plants or ones that could be a part of the current story that you feel drawn to but have the potential for longevity.

Most importantly, what do you have the resources for? Let’s explore that.

Space How much space do you have available and more importantly

how much sun/shade and growing capacity do you have? Will you be planting seeds and selling seedlings or creating cuttings or will you be growing larger plants?

Do you need racks, shelves, a greenhouse, shade house or garden beds?

Soil

consistent with your watering so you may need to invest in additional plumbing or at least heavy-duty longer hoses.

A water tank is one outlay that you should be undertaking early in your nursery at home business plan.

Additional considerations

You might be growing your plants in beds, the ground or in pots but either way, there needs to be consideration about what soil you have and from where you will get more.

If you are going to be selling seedlings or potted plants, storage of soil will also need to be factored into your plant plans.

Buying anything in bulk is cheaper, including soil but you need to know where you will keep it.

Water

The legalities are rather simple.

As long you are not employing anyone, you can have a home nursery, but you must not be blocking access to other houses or the street when you sell.

Signage will need to be discussed with the council as well.

I would suggest business and public liability insurance as a must.

Selling will involve you finding ways to collect money and give receipts to your customers, and both can be handled by using services like Apple Pay, PayPal etc.

It is also relatively easy to obtain apps and card readers to accept payments.

If you decide to accept cash, be mindful that you will need to have a float for change.

I volunteer at my local community garden and one of the other gardeners, Graeme, has a wonderful saying, “Most people don’t have problems with their plants, they have problems with their water” and he is right.

Water is seldom factored into gardening plans, and it’s not just how much water you need but where is it coming from? Taps that are inaccessible to areas of the garden make it hard to be

Cheralyn Darcey is a gardening author, community garden coordinator and along with Pete Little, hosts ‘At Home with The Gardening Gang’ 8 - 10am live every Saturday on CoastFM963.

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The art of grazing with Phat Platter

GEORGIA LIENEMANN

We’re back for the fifth instalment of our Summer salads series.

This week, we’re chatting to Paige from local business Phat Platter – a team of food and styling experts taking the coast’s picnic blankets by storm.

Originally providing the Coast with grazing tables, they have now expanded into providing the Central Coast, Sydney and Hunter Region with a wide variety of stunning grazing tables, catering boxes and luxury picnics.

It starts with cheese We’re passionate about high-quality foods here at Phat Platter, so we thought we’d introduce you two of our favourite cheeses.

Our team has curated a beautiful blend of Australian and international cheeses providing you with what we think is a perfect mixture of different flavours and textures.

Our first favourite is our local triple cream brie from Binnorie Dairy - sourced from the Hunter Region, which has been supplying Australia with amazing cheeses for almost 20 years.

The triple cream brie is made using cow’s milk which has a soothing, mellow flavour with subtle tones of

nuttiness and fresh mushrooms sauteed in butter extending into a creamy and smooth finish.

The second cheese we feature regularly on our platters is a traditional French cheese called Fromager D’affinois Excellence.

This soft cheese has an infinite sweetness due to the extra cream that is collected from dairies in the surrounding countryside, located in the picturesque hills of the Rhone Valley, France.

This extra cream gives an elegant, silky-buttery mouth feel that adds to the enjoyment of this cheese.

Our tips for creating the ultimate grazing platter At Phat Platter we believe that any season is a good season for cheese, but we do think that enjoying a grazing spread on a summer afternoon accompanied by your favourite drink is very hard to beat.

The most important tip for creating the best summer platter is to source the best quality seasonal ingredients that you can find.

Juicy fruits and fresh vegetables pair perfectly with cheese – so freshness is everything.

We also love adding local raw honeycomb to our platters as it adds a sweet element to the spread.

Styling your platter Believe it or not, there is a method to our madness when it comes to our grazing tables!

When creating your own graze, it’s important to precisely place each element so that people are more inclined to taste each cheese with specific meats and accompaniments.

We went around and asked the team their favourite combinations to give you

some inspiration of how to assemble your own.

Stevie (The Boss’s) favourite combination on a grazing table is our ‘Shadows of Blue’ cheese paired with quince paste and prosciutto, “It is the perfect combination of salty, sweet and soft and creamy blue.”

Alex’s (Picnic Master) favourite is our delicious goat’s milk, truffle manchego paired with red wine and garlic salami and a smoked, sundried tomato.

“This is my all-time fave, the creaminess of the manchego combined with the smokey tomato and garlic notes in the salami is unbeatable!”

My personal favourite is the amazing D’affinios Excellence paired beautifully with our local raw honeycomb, a slice of fresh pear and a caramelised walnut.

Once you try this combination your taste buds will be begging for more.

It’s all about pairing delicious elements and textures to your platter so

be sure to add a good variety of different cheese, meats and fresh produce.

Taking care cheeses

with

your

It’s always a great idea to let your cheese sit out to get to room temperature before serving as this is when you are able to experience the cheese at its full potential.

Both the texture and flavour of the cheese can change if it has come straight out of the fridge.

We also recommend with some of your hard cheeses to slice it and create a fan or different shape with the slices.

This adds layers, height and more dimension to your graze - because we all know it’s all about that insta pic!

Another tip is to crumble any hard, crumbly-textured cheese to add a new texture to your graze, which will encourage your guests to try it.

It’s especially great to do if you have two similar looking cheeses as it helps guests to

differentiate between the two.

Styling your cured meats When it comes to cured meats it’s always a great idea to have a few different varieties to pair with different cheeses.

The most important thing with cured meats is to ensure that it’s sliced thinly.

A thick cut of cured meat becomes overpowering with cheese, so when you’re sourcing meats for your graze, be sure to ask your deli for a thinly sliced product.

It’s so important not to merely slap meat onto your platter - it will look flat and unappetising.

At Phat Platter we use a method we call ‘curling’.

We take the slice of meat and curl it around our fingers to create a unique shape for each meat, which adds more dimension on the platter.

For example, we fold prosciutto like an accordion, so that it takes on the appearance of a delicate ribbon sitting amongst the

other ingredients.

The finishing touches It’s always a good idea to leave adding fruits and fresh vegetables as one of the final steps as this allows you to see where your platter needs certain colours, textures and height and you can place them accordingly.

Edible flowers - whether they are dried or fresh - will completely transform your graze.

The colours add an unmistakable flair that no other element can.

Phat Platter are open to order Wednesday – Sunday.

Keep up to date with their latest seasonal offerings on Instagram and Facebook @phat platter and luxury picnics or shop for their boxes, grazing tables or luxury picnics on their website www.phatplatter.com.

LEAVE NO ONE IN NEED Please donate now

RED SHIELD APPEAL salvationarmy.org.au

Every bequest brings us closer to a cure for cancer.

Thanks to medical research cancer survival rates have increased by 25% in the last 25 years.

Your bequest to the Cancer Council NSW will help fund more research which could help us defeat cancer within this child’s lifetime.

The power to save more lives is in your hands.

For more information contact Mella Moore today. T: 1300 780 113 • W: cancercouncil.com.au

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Introducing NovoForum: A Voice for all Novocastrians Do you have an opinion about something in the Newcastle community? A compliment? A concern? A rebuttal? Or simply an observation that you believe serves the public interest.

NovoForum is here to provide an outlet for Novocastrians to discuss, offer insight, share knowledge, and have their say about local issues that matter to them.

NovoNews encourages all groups and individuals in Newcastle to contribute their news, opinions, community comments, notices and items of interest for publication.

Please send your entries to editorial@novonews.com.au and include a full name and suburb to be published. All entries are subject to our final editorial discretion.

All content must be readable and coherent and must not be offensive or defamatory – the Editor reserves the right to truncate, amend or not to publish any material sent to us.

Join the Merewether Seaside Probus Club Are you looking for friendship, fellowship and fun in retirement?

Merewether Seaside Probus Club are looking for new members to join.

After Covid-19 restrictions, the club are finding that people are seeking to join social community groups once again. They would love to welcome new members to join the club over 2022!

OVOFORUM Merewether Seaside Probus Club meet on the 3rd Thursday of each month from 10.30 am at Souths Merewether Leagues Club, 46 Llewellyn St, Merewether NSW 2291.

For further information email: merewetherseasideprobus@gmail. com or Phone 02 4963 6093.

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FEBRUARY 18 ISSUE 011

OVOFORUM

Royal Visit for Newcastle?

In the UK, there is a strong rumour that the Queen will abdicate in favour of Prince Charles in 2022, her 70th year on the Throne.

So, imagine it is, say, 2024.

The King’s Way (Stairway to Heaven) is now complete, from the Newcastle Harbour to the Christ Church Cathedral.

King Charles III will enter Newcastle aboard the Royal Navy Capital Ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, at the beginning of his first visit to Australia as King.

The King’s official engagement is to open The King’s Way from the point of his mother’s visit in 1988 for Australia’s Bicentennial. The royal party will

OVOFORUM proceed via The King’s Way to the Cathedral’s grounds for the official opening with the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.

The Newcastle Council was proactive in planning this ceremony, a public relations coup like no other.

The eyes of Australia and the world will be on Newcastle.

Should Her Majesty still be on the Throne, she may consent to do it via video link, with Prince Charles officiating for her.

It would be, then, The Queen’s Way. F. Whitaker, Newcastle

Marvel at the making and mending of yesteryear See homemade clothing and textiles from 1910 to 1997 made

by Florence Porter and her daughters Ella and Hazel at Miss Porter’s House Museum.

Miss Porter’s House collection showcases how homemade crafts were the cultural norm for women during the twentieth century and how fashions, fabrics, technologies and homewares changed over the years.

Fabrics on display range from cotton, wool and silks to the synthetic textiles of later years, including a fabulous range of Crimplene dresses and suits. Clothing from christening gowns and underwear to business suits and party dresses are exhibited. All three women were highly skilled craft workers, winning certificates

OVOFORUM at shows in Newcastle, Gresford, Singleton, Maitland and others.

Visitors can see repurposed clothing, the mending and darning of yesteryear and the creative reuse of fabrics. Join us to see these fascinating exhibits.

Miss Porter’s House Museum is located on 434 King Street, Newcastle West and is open for viewing on March 13 from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Enquiries on attendance and tickets can be made by calling 4927 0202 or visiting the Facebook page Miss Porter’s House.

Deputy Chair Miss Porter’s House Management Committee, Jean Bridges

18 OVOCULTUREFEBRUARY ISSUE 011 P18novonews.com.au

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Fostering young Aussie’s connection to nature through art

Australia Art in Nature original music video soundtrack to feature Corinne Gibbons and Uncle Ossie Cruse Photo: Supplied

A global art movement has launched in Australia, inviting young Aussies to connect with nature and create an artwork displaying that connection, whether it be with Australian landscapes, animals, plants, or habitats.

Sisters Grimm, a Grammy-nominated creative production company, is behind the not-for-profit initiative, Australia Art in Nature.

“The environment is a cause close to our hearts, and Australia is a truly

remarkable country when it comes to nature,” Sisters Grimm co-founder Pietra Mello-Pittman said.

“Engaging children and young adults with nature to help with mental and physical health through art is important, and we are so thrilled to come to Australia and launch our Art in Nature project here.”

Australia Art in Nature is free to enter and open to all Australians under 18 with submissions to close on February 28.

All participants must create an artwork inspired by their connection and

experience with nature and submit a digital image to be showcased in an online art gallery.

A digital photo of every submission will be displayed on the specially created website, and one chosen artwork will go on to be the hero image of the project.

Other artworks will be chosen to feature in a brand-new, animated music video released on March 22 for World Water Day. The music video will be inspired by Australian landscapes and feature an original song made in collaboration with the co-founder of Sisters Grimm, Ella

24 Hour Magic by Elsie West Photo: Supplied

Spira, singer-songwriter Corinne Gibbons, and Aboriginal Elder and activist Oswald “Ossie” Cruse.

The art movement first debuted in the United Arab Emirates in 2021, receiving more than 1,000 artworks from 100 schools and its music video, ‘Windows of the Mind’, amassed 3.5M views on YouTube.

For more information or to participate in the Australia Art in Nature, visit www.australiaartinnature.com.

Hayley McMahon

Aboriginal stories and giant puppets to illuminate Throsby Creek A Newcastle theatre company is bringing Throsby Creek’s ancient Aboriginal stories to life through an evening of performance, traditional dance, and giant illuminated puppetry.

Curious Legends, known for its giant puppets and outdoor theatre, are collaborating with the Newcastle Worimi people to bring the community an iconic performance telling the stories of the Dates family ancestors.

The Dates family are an offshoot clan of the Worimi Nation who have walked the land of Onebygamba (Carrington) for many generations.

Gimbay Gatigaan (friendly mud crab) is a family-friendly, site-specific production exploring Throsby Creek through an Aboriginal Lens.

The community will witness an evening of traditional Aboriginal dance, inspired lighting, multimedia projection, and of course, giant illuminated puppets.

“We wanted to create something really special,” Curious Legends artistic

Aboriginal dancer Tammy Towers and puppeteer Mitchell Reese Photo supplied: Photolook

director Mitchell Reese said.

“This is over a year in the making, so think outdoor performance with breathtaking Aboriginal dancing and

ancient stories.

“In our studio, we’re currently building an 8-metre long stingray and 3-metre wide mud crab for the show. We can’t

wait to share them with you!”

The free performance of Gimbay Gatigaan will be held in Carrington Creek Parklands from March 3 to 5, starting at 6.30 pm.

The City of Newcastle originally commissioned the show for the New Annual Festival planned for October 2021, but it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Covid has pushed everything back,” Reese said.

“Fortunately, the Newcastle Council decided this story must be told and has been working with us behind the scenes to make it a success.”

Reese said families were encouraged to bring a picnic rug and join them for a cultural evening under the stars, where the community had the opportunity to see the land in a new way.

“Food trucks, a traditional smoking ceremony, and an unforgettable performance make this an evening not to be missed!”

Hayley McMahon

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FEBRUARY 18 ISSUE 011

Talent at Tocal gives local kids a chance to perform School kids with musical talent are being offered the opportunity to secure paid work by showcasing their act at Tocal Field Days.

Held between April 29 to May 1 at the Tocal Agricultural Centre, Tocal Field Days is the number one field day in the Hunter region, with a record of 28,000 people in attendance last year.

Tocal Field Days manager Charise Foulstone said Talent at Tocal was another way the event gave back to the local community.

“We want to give talented young people real music industry experience in front of a real audience,” Foulstone said.

“We’re calling for applications to audition later this month from Hunter and Central Coast school students, aged 10 and over, who sing, play an instrument or both.”

Foulstone said Talent at Tocal wasn’t a talent quest but an opportunity for students aged 10 to 18 to be paid commercial rates to perform at various locations within the event.

“Performances need to be in keeping with a family-oriented rural community event, but they don’t have to be strictly country music,” Foulstone said.

17 -year-old Emily Crouch performed at the event last year and has registered to perform again.

The Callaghan College Jesmond High School student is a singer, guitarist and songwriter.

She said Talent at Tocal at the Tocal Field Days was a great experience that fuelled her confidence.

“There were so many people at Tocal, and lots of people stopped to listen and

Local student Emily Crouch will perform at this year event under her stage name Jadily Photo source: Supplied

came up to me to say they loved my voice and performances,” Emily said.

“I’ve always loved music and have been singing since I could talk. I would 100 per cent recommend other performers take this opportunity at Tocal to get performance experience and a chance to showcase your talent to lots of people.”

Emily said the experience at Tocal Field Days encouraged her to continue

singing and songwriting.

At this year’s event, and under her stage name of Jadily, Emily will perform her new, yet to be released single Physically There, a song inspired by her experience of the pandemic.

“The song is about people missing out on being physically with people but being mentally there and connecting in other ways.”

Residents interested in performing at Tocal must apply by February 22.

Application forms are available on the Tocal Field Days website or at local school offices.

Auditions will be held on February 23 and March 5 at Tocal Agricultural Centre, and tickets for the event will go on sale in March.

Information source: Tocal Field Days

Boost for Wangi Wangi entertainment scene Wangi Wangi’s live music and entertainment scene is set to boom with the launch of a pilot program to help businesses emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lake Macquarie City Council is working with the NSW Government to establish a special entertainment precinct in an attempt to revive local businesses, live music, and stimulate the local nighttime economy.

President of Wangi RSL Club Les McAllister said the event series, named Wangi Live, would be a lifeline for businesses hit hard during the pandemic.

“Trade was scarily slow, we were worried it wouldn’t pick up at all,” McAllister said.

“Wangi Live will promote Wangi Wangi big time, and it’ll be a great thing for local businesses.

“They’ll get a lot out of it.”

Lake Macquarie Deputy Mayor Jason Pauling said the council would work with the NSW Government, businesses and local authorities throughout the pilot program.

“We want to see our night-time economy thrive, while ensuring it’s safe

Wangi RSL President Les McAllister with manager Wayne Izzard Photo source: Lake Macquarie City Council

and inviting,” Pauling said.

“Wangi Wangi is so unique, it’s right on the water and has so much to offer visitors who wish to attend upcoming events.”

Lake Macquarie City was among three NSW councils selected to host a Special Entertainment Precinct, alongside Inner West Council and City of Sydney.

Lake Macquarie City said the dedicated

entertainment precinct could include a mix of core night-time economy businesses, from live music and entertainment venues, to bars, cafes, restaurants, retail and other services.

“The program will ensure tourists and local residents have access to quality entertainment spaces, provide and retain local jobs and support the local economy,” a Lake Macquarie City statement read.

“Wangi Wangi has so much to offer from quality food and beverage businesses to creative opportunities, as well as a passionate community.

“This pilot aims to trial measures to protect live music and performance venues and support the creative industries and night-time economy.

“We look forward to working with the Wangi Wangi community to make this program a great success.”

If the pilot is successful, the program will inform legislative pathways and will be rolled out to councils across NSW. Lake Macquarie City has invited all local businesses and stakeholders to be part of the month-long entertainment program.

Maia O’Connor

18 OVOCASTRIANFEBRUARY ISSUE 011 P20novonews.com.au

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Milly’s microlight mission

Formby is travelling around Australia in her microlight, raising awareness for the importance of migratory shorebirds and wetland ecosystems Photo: Supplied

Zoologist turned pilot, Amellia ‘Milly’ Formby is taking off on an adventure of a lifetime and flying solo around Australia, determined to raise awareness for migratory shorebirds.

Originally from Gippsland in Victoria, Formby is an artist, zoologist, pilot and illustrator, currently working for BirdLife Australia as a project officer for their Migratory Shorebird Program based in Newcastle.

Wing Threads is the official name of Formby’s flying adventure, where she plans to take off in her Airborne M4 Sport microlight and visit schools and libraries around Australia, helping to spread some much-needed awareness about migratory shorebirds and the importance of wetlands.

To help support her message, Formby will be promoting her new nonfiction storybook, A Shorebird Flying Adventure, which is due to be published in June.

Co-authored with Jackie Kerin and illustrated by Formby, the book educates mid-primary school-age children about the importance of wetland ecosystems using migratory shorebirds as a model.

“I was approached by CSIRO Publishing, who asked if I was interested in creating a children’s book about my Wing Threads adventure to promote migratory shorebird conservation,” Formby said.

“I’m now preparing to take off on my flying journey while also bringing A Shorebird Flying Adventure to schools all around the coast.

“The aim is to basically raise the importance of protecting our wetland habitat as well as the super special animals and creatures that live among them!”

The school visits will fulfil the educational objectives for BirdLife Australia’s Migratory Shorebird Conservation Action Plan, which aims to improve conservation outcomes for migratory shorebirds and wetland ecosystems throughout the East AsianAustralasian Flyway.

Formby said that wetland ecosystems provided us with clean water, food, protection from storms and created buffers against climate change.

“Shorebirds teach us that protecting these habitats is not just for the birds but for our health and well-being too,” she said.

Formby said there were 50 species of shorebirds in Australia, and 37 of those were migratory, which meant they flew all the way up to Siberia in Russia every year to breed.

“So, they fly there during our winter every year, and then they fly all the way back again, which is about a 25,000 kilometre journey,” she said.

“They follow a route called the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and along the way, they stop at wetlands to rest and refuel.

“A lot of those wetlands are currently under threat and pressure, mainly due to human activity, particularly around the Yellow Sea in China and Korea, which means that many shorebird species have declined a significant amount over the years.”

Formby said shorebirds had become some of the most endangered birds in the world, such as the Eastern Curlew, which had declined by 80 per cent in the past 40 years.

Shorebirds can be defined by their specific characteristics; for example, they don’t have webbed feet, restricting them from landing on water.

They are also often seen wading in shallow wetlands all around Australia.

“Many people don’t know what shorebirds are, so when people go to the beach, they aren’t aware of their

Formby flying over Redhead Beach Photo: Supplied

presence. So, disturbance is one of the biggest threats,” Formby said.

“So, four-wheel drives, jet skis, boats, fishing and dogs off leashes … all of these things can have significant impacts on the shorebird habitat.

“I’m hoping that people will become aware of their presence and the importance of the wetland ecosystems that they rely on, and that’s what we are trying to achieve with this project by really grabbing everyone’s attention.”

Formby is hoping to start the journey in May from Broome, Western Australia and travel at 5000 ft anticlockwise around the country—she said the journey should take her around six months.

“So, it’s about 90 stops and 20,000 kilometres in total. Also, depending on where the airfields are, it’s around 100 to 400 kilometres between each stop,” Formby said “I think the trips will really start to get longer once I reach the top end of Australia in the super remote areas.

“I am so excited, and it will be a lot of new experiences for me too; I haven’t flown in those parts of Australia before, so it will definitely be a challenge for my piloting skills.”

Formby is currently raising money to help cover the cost of fuel and maintenance for the microlight aircraft, as well as food and accommodation for herself and the two-person ground crew who will be following her in a car.

She has raised over $30,000 of the $75,000 needed to sustain the sixmonth journey.

To donate towards Formby’s trip or to follow along with her microlight flying adventure, visit Wing Threads on Facebook or the website wingthreads. com.

Hayley McMahon

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P21

FEBRUARY 18 ISSUE 011

OVOCASTRIAN

Lake Mac locals wage war on waste

Attendees are encouraged to sit with repairers to exchange valuable skills and knowledge

It’s a routine that many people in the western world are guilty of; the act of encountering a broken item, deeming it irreparable, then absentmindedly disposing of the item in question.

While the one simple action is often performed without considering the expense to the wallet and the wider environment, one Lake Macquarie initiative is working to change the universal but damaging mentality.

Lake Macquarie’s Repair It café has championed the ‘waste-not framework’, resisting waste culture by offering Novocastrians a solution to not only fix the broken item itself but the wasteful mindset that often accompanies it.

At regular meets, the café provides a friendly community space where locals can share knowledge and exchange skills in repairing a plethora of items, including electrical goods, clothing, furniture, bikes and more.

“A lot of people want to repair things; they just either don’t have the skills themselves, they don’t know where to take the item, or they think it’ll be too expensive to repair to make it worth it,” said café coordinator Sam Doove.

“We want to address those issues.”

While repairing is a priority on the day, it is not the only thing the cafe achieves.

“The underlying feel and intention of the day is community connection and people chatting and sharing skills, and it’s through all those conversations that change happens,” Doove said.

“Beyond just the repairs is about trying to implant that idea of repairing something in people’s mentality and having that as an option as opposed to

throwing things out.”

Repair It café’s first major comeback event will be at Warners Bay Theatre on Sunday, March 13, where talented volunteers will be available to repair electrical goods, furniture, tool sharpening and textiles.

“On the day, we’ll probably have around 20 volunteers – it includes not only our repairers, but we run free tea and coffee refreshments, we’ve got a kids zone, and we run workshops,” Doove said.

In terms of the process on the day, Doove said attendees brought in their broken goods before getting directed to the appropriate repair station, where often an exchange of skills took place.

“The idea is also to learn a few skills along the way, so people stay with their broken stuff,” she said.

“The repairer might show them how they are fixing it, or what part they might need or simply just chat and connect!”

As a reward, most attendees go home with an object with a restored item, and payment comes in the form of gratitude expressed for having their belongings fixed or sometimes a donation to the repair café.

“Fortunately, we currently have some financial support to be able to run the events from Lake Macquarie City Council, so we are not having to worry about the financial aspect of the initiative, which is brilliant,” Doove said.

She said their most recent major Repair It event was very successful as more than 100 objects were repaired and restored.

Despite COVID-19 impacting the ability to host events recently, the Repair It café has sought to overcome the

Repair cafes often encounter insurance legalities in relation to some items, such as bikes Photo source: Dennis Archibald

“massive struggle” the past two years had brought.

“This year, we’ve decided to really ramp it up and bring it back to the success that we saw in 2020,” she said.

“We’ve lost a few volunteers as we haven’t been able to operate over the past few years, so we’re just trying to build that up again.”

One of the remaining volunteers, Margaret Standen, said the idea was to teach people that “you don’t have to throw things away, you can repair them”.

“People either bring [items] in and we repair them for them, or we show them what to do and give them some ideas on other jobs they can do themselves to stop them going out and buying new,” Standen said.

“I’ve had one fella come in with a vest that needed the whole back replaced, I showed him what to do, and he took it home and did it himself.

“You get the service you ask for, if you want to learn, we will help, but if you just want us to do it, then we’ll do it for you.”

The local initiative started in 2018 because of an environmental grant from Lake Macquarie City Council.

While a new concept locally, the first Repair Café was launched in Amsterdam in 2009.

The Repair Café Foundation claimed the community had expanded to include more than 2200 cafés internationally.

The coordinator at Lake Macquarie’s Repair It cafe, Gabrielle Clappison, said it was vital that a circular economy was adopted soon. Still, insurance issues and the right to repair were huge obstacles in reducing consumer waste.

“At the Repair It café, we are just trying

to stop things from getting thrown away; however, sometimes our hands are tied due to risk assessments and other measures that must be put in place.”

This included the inability of Repair It cafe to repair bikes due to insurance issues and the inability to allow electrical repairs unless volunteers have a certificate of currency.

Clappison recently attended the national Right to Repair Summit and said the movement was pushing for legislation regarding consumers right to repair.

Consumer products have become more challenging to repair independently due to manufacturers voiding valuable consumer warranties.

Clappison also cited a global push for improved legislation, revealing summit plans to change national legislation to instate a national repair scaling system like the energy rating system.

“The national scale rating system for repairing and repurposing on products similar to our energy rating system will enable consumers to make an educated decision on which is the best products for their purpose,” Clappison said.

“We have to get a circular economy going. We have to do something, and it should’ve been done yesterday.”

Doove encouraged more volunteers to join, as well as businesses such as bike shops with insurance that may be willing to sacrifice a few hours for the sustainability cause.

Interested parties are encouraged to get in touch via the groups’ Facebook page.

Maia O’Connor

18 OVOSPORTFEBRUARY ISSUE 011 P22novonews.com.au

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Briella and Taj named Junior Surf Life Savers of the Year Two dedicated volunteers have been named the female and male Newcastle Permanent Hunter Junior Surf Lifesaver of the Year.

The Hunter Junior Surf Lifesaver of the Year awards were announced at the Hunter Branch Age Championships at Blacksmiths Beach on February 6, recognising and rewarding young members for their leadership, teamwork, surf lifesaving and self-awareness.

Each of Hunter’s 13 surf lifesaving clubs nominate a female and male for the award, who are then judged on their written application and interviewed by the judges.

Briella Gyler-Dial from Caves Beach Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) and Taj Horadam from Redhead SLSC were the winners, and a High Distinction was awarded to Monique Ramplin from Merewether SLSC. Hunter Surf Life Saving president Henry Scruton said Briella and Taj were great examples of what local surf lifesaving clubs were all about.

“These young people are so impressive and an asset to the surf lifesaving movement and to the beach safety of our community,” Scruton said.

“Thanks to Newcastle Permanent, we can recognise and encourage these young people to be future leaders of

Briella Gyler-Dial and Taj Horadam with Henry Scrouton and Newcastle Permanent staff Photo: Daniel Danuser

surf lifesaving and in the broader community.”

14-year-old Briella has been a Nipper since she was five and is working to inspire the next generation of lifesavers.

For the past three seasons, Briella has

volunteered on weekends at Caves Beach SLSC, helping age managers with younger Nippers squads.

The Hunter Sports High School student said she was inspired by one of her club’s age managers and former Hunter

Youth Surf Lifesaver of the Year, Makayla Gay. “Surf lifesaving is so important because lifesavers help prevent people drowning at beaches, but Nippers teaches young kids and parents about water safety,” Briella said.

Redhead SLSC member Taj said he dreamt of being a surf lifesaver and loved being with friends at the beach.

The 13-year-old from Whitebridge High has already put his Surf Rescue Certificate skills to work helping a fellow school student who fell unconscious until paramedics arrived.

Similarly, in last year’s State Championship Age Surf Race, Taj stopped competing to help a fellow competitor who had been stung badly by a blue bottle.

Taj said surf lifesaving was in the family and was inspired by his dad, a former club president and current age manager.

“Nippers is so important because it sets kids up to be future lifesavers, is fun and teaches you about volunteering and giving back to the community,” Taj said.

Newcastle Permanent’s Swansea branch manager Brett Freebody presented the awards and was impressed by the calibre of all finalists.

Hayley McMahon

Females first at new Lake Mac sport festival World champion cliff-diver Rhiannon Iffland, Olympic gold medallist Kerri Pottharst and Australian netball representative Sam Poolman will headline an inaugural Lake Macquarie festival celebrating women and girls in sport next month.

The Hunter-first Lake Mac Women’s Sports Festival will take place from March 11 to March 13, encouraging female sports participation and exploring how to grow and nurture women’s sport in a rapidly changing society.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Kay Fraser said four key themes would underpin the weekend: empowerment and celebration, advocacy and power, athletic excellence, and community and support.

“Looking at recent events, from Ash Barty’s historic Australian Open victory to the Ashes win by the Australian women’s cricket team, it’s clear that women’s sport has never been stronger in our country,” Cr Fraser said.

“However, there is still much we can do to break down the barriers, encourage more females to get involved and really champion women in the sporting arena.”

The event will showcase a range of sports matches, workshops, clinics and live entertainment and includes a combination of talks, symposiums and hands-on activities for girls and women of all ages.

“This will be a great opportunity for

Netball star Sam Poolman will be in attendance Photo source: Lake Macquarie City Council

girls and women to come out and watch or try a variety of sports, without any cost or commitment,” Cr Fraser said.

Kerri Pottharst, a pioneer of women’s sport in Australia who won gold at the 2000 Olympics, will help launch the weekend at a Friday, March 11 breakfast at Warners Bay Theatre, talking about her experience as an elite female athlete.

Locally born and bred Sam Poolman, who represented Australia in netball at under-17, under-19 and under-21 levels, will participate in a Saturday, March 12 symposium at Charlestown Leagues Club, joining other sportswomen, sports administrators and industry experts to

tackle key issues facing women in Australian sport.

Poolman said the festival was a “fantastic opportunity to connect with and inspire the local community”.

“This is an opportunity to learn and be empowered by athletes and successful businesswomen,” Poolman said.

Four-time world champion cliff-diver Rhiannon Iffland will also return to her hometown for the festival, joining a discussion on females in sport.

A Friday symposium at Central Charlestown Leagues will feature University of Newcastle Associate Professor Narelle Eather, a former elite

netballer who will talk about the benefits of early participation in sport, and Nutrition Nation founder Rebecca Haslam, who will talk through the importance of sport to health and wellbeing.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW Paul Toole said the NSW Government was helping make sport more accessible by delivering programs that encouraged girls and women to participate in the sports and activities they wanted to play.

“Some of Australia’s best sporting talents have made their debut on a regional pitch, field or court, and we want to see more female athletes living in regional NSW showcase their talent at the grassroots level,” Toole said.

The NSW Government contributed $50,000 to the festival through its $500M Stronger Community Fund.

Toole said the NSW Government was investing record amounts to deliver “big-picture infrastructure needed to stimulate economies”.

“We’re also backing community projects that make a big difference to everyday life,” he said.

The festival coincides with International Women’s Day, and activities include free female-only yoga and learn-to-surf sessions at Blacksmiths, soccer and rugby sevens at St John’s Oval, and a netball masterclass at Charlestown netball courts on Sunday.

A detailed program list can be found on Lake Macquarie City’s website.

Information source: Lake Macquarie City

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CREATING FINANCIAL FREEDOM

Can’t afford a rental bond? Here’s what to do WITH

Julia NEWBOULD Managing Editor • Money magazine Coming up with a bond for a home to rent is a stretch for plenty of renters. The bond is typically four weeks rent, depending on state government guidelines.

And because the bond is a security deposit to a new landlord in case there is any damage to the property, it is locked away until you move out. Often people are caught out because they have to come up with a new bond before they have their old bond paid out.

So what happens if you don’t have the spare money for the rental bond?

One solution is to take a loan from a number of private finance companies but before you borrow from them, check if you qualify for the interest-free bond loans from your state government.

While the private loan companies charge interest from day one, some offer interest-free periods of a few

weeks. This can work if you pay back the loan within the interest-free period. But if you miss the interest-free period or only pay back part of the loan, you could be slugged with interest rates and fees that amount to 24% to 36%, depending on your repayment schedule, according to the NSW Tenants Union.

The best bond loan is from one of the state governments.

If you qualify, they offer interest-free periods for much longer to help people on lower incomes to pay their bond. This takes the pressure off you to pay it back quickly.

State government loans typically have no fees either. But lending companies charge an establishment fee, a monthly fee and, if you miss a repayment, a missed payment fee.

But the catch for obtaining a state government loan is that you have to meet the criteria, which vary widely from state to state. The loan can be provided instantly online if you have the relevant documents.

How do you apply?

Some states require you to have been approved for a private rental property. Others allow you to apply if you haven’t found a home yet and keep your application valid for 14 weeks to up to six months.

To qualify you need a low amount in your bank account.

In Queensland, the amount is

$2500. In NSW, you must have less than $5000 in cash. In the ACT you need to hold less than $10,000 in cash or savings for single applicants or $15,000 for joint applicants. In Western Australia, the loan is $2500 for singles without dependants, and $5000 for singles with dependants and couples.

You have to provide proof of

savings and financial assets. As well you have to meet the income threshold. Proof of income includes documents such as a PAYG payment summary for the previous financial year or a payslip from the last month.

Interest and dividend income need to be included as well as payments from Services Australia such as family tax

benefit payments. You need to upload your supporting documents, such as proof of identity and finances, online. Approvals typically can be checked instantly online.

Some states check that the rent is a certain percentage of your income to make sure you aren’t overcommitted.

SUSAN HELY

ASIC slams ‘high-risk’ crypto assets in self-managed super The Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) has warned self-managed super funds (SMSFs) to consider the risks of cryptocurrency investments.

In a public statement, the corporate regulator says it had noticed an increase in marketing recommending Australians

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switch from retail and industry superannuation funds to SMSFs so that they can “invest in a high-return portfolio”. SMSF trustees are also being targeted to invest in crypto assets.

“Superannuation is an attractive target for scammers, and crypto assets are a high-risk and speculative investment.

“It is best practice for fund

members to seek advice from a licensed financial adviser before agreeing to transfer superannuation out of a regulated fund into an SMSF.” When developing and reviewing an investment strategy, ASIC says SMSF trustees need to document how their fund’s investments will meet their retirement goals, the risks of

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appeared to be engaging in unlawful activity, with ASIC alleging more than $2.4 million was transferred from A One Multi to buy crypto assets.

ASIC obtained interim orders and injunctions from the Federal Court in Queensland against A One Multi and its directors to protect investors.

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ASIC says it is also important that consumers consider the risks before setting up an SMSF. It is one of the most significant decisions you can make relating to your retirement savings, so seek professional advice.

In November 2021, ASIC moved to shut down unlicensed financial services A One Multi.

The Gold Coast-based company

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inadequate diversification, liquidity and the ability of the fund to discharge its liabilities.

“You must also be able to demonstrate that the fund owns the asset. The ATO website contains information about these obligations. A licensed financial adviser can assist you with formulating an appropriate investment strategy.”

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Do or Die this weekend for Jets A-League Women

Elizabeth Eddy of the Jets during the A-League Women’s match between the Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle, Tuesday, February 8 Photo source: AAP, Darren Pateman

This Saturday, February 19, sees the Newcastle Jets welcome the Western Sydney Wanderers to town in a game that they must win to keep their Liberty A-League Women’s season alive.

The teams have met 13 times previously for six wins apiece and one draw.

The match will be the Jets third straight home game and follows on the heels of a heartbreaking loss last week with a goal disallowed on the stroke of fulltime.

The local Women’s outfit have struggled in recent matches and have been kept goalless in their last three matches.

They currently sit 12 points away from Adelaide in fourth, however still have two games in hand of the teams above, while the Wanderers sit second last on the ladder and are coming off back-toback 5-nil defeats.

The Jets will be boosted by the return to the starting line-up of prolific goalscorer Tara Andrews who looked threatening our attack last weekend

against Sydney and Coach Ash Wilson will be hoping that threat turns into goals this Saturday.

So far Andrews has been in and out of the Starting XI and has managed to score in just one game this season.

In each of the two previous seasons,

Sophie Magus

the 27-year-old managed five goals and has the potential to lift the Jet’s attack at the business end of the season.

The Jets also announced this week the signing of young goalkeeper Sophie Magus for the remainder of the Liberty A-League Season.

Magus will join the team as a replacement for Georgia Boric who recently made the decision to leave the club due to work commitments.

The 22-year-old joins after spending time with the Wanderers back in 2020, and recently with top NPLW sides APIA Leichardt and Sydney University.

Wilson said she was pleased to be able to bring in someone of Magus’ quality after the loss of Boric.

“It’s obviously disappointing to lose Georgia at this stage of the season,” Wilson said.

It’s an unfortunate reminder of some of the pressures and challenges the women’s game brings of balancing work and football.

“Sophie is a promising young goalkeeper – she is brave, confident with her feet and has a fantastic attitude toward making the most from her opportunities.”

Magus admitted she’d be looking for

a move to the Jets and to work with Wilson for some time.

“I’ve been following the Jets for the past year and am really impressed with the set-up Ash has,” Magus said.

“I think working under her was one of the biggest motivators for me coming here.”

The upcoming match against the Wanderers will be played at the No. 2 Sportsground on Saturday, February 19, with kick-off scheduled for 5.05 pm.

Information Source: Newcastle Jets FC

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