News
News
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Freemans Dr roadworks go up a notch, expect delays 29th May 2023 Traffic delays are expected from Tuesday 30 May to upgrade the intersection. Allow additional travel time between 7am and 6pm during the works. Street parking ... more
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New cultural garden at Toronto signals start to Reconciliation Week 29th May 2023 The start of Reconciliation Week in Lake Macquarie was celebrated by Toronto Community Child Care Centre with the opening of a cultural garden. Students from ... more
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Origin offering $5m in community grants 24th May 2023 The first of two annual rounds of applications from eligible community groups and initiatives is now open. Applications close 18 June 2023. The fund will invest $5m ... more
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Work starts on M1 noise wall at Cooranbong 23rd May 2023 Transport for NSW have commenced the installation of a noise reduction wall northbound on the M1 near Currans Road, Cooranbong. Work is expected ... more
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Electric ute roadshow comes to Toronto 19th May 2023 I’ve been keenly waiting to get into an EV ute and tomorrow I’ll finally get the chance to have a good look at one at the Solar Citizens Electric Ute Roadshow at Toronto ... more
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Heaven Can Wait Sailing Regatta raises another $50,000 18th May 2023 The Heaven Can Wait Charity Sailing Regatta has raised desperately-needed funds for life-saving and life-protecting local organisations for 17 years. I was pleased to ... more
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Lake Macquarie Garden Club turns 40 16th May 2023 Lake Macquarie Garden Club turned 40 yesterday. Celebrating the occasion with a beautiful morning tea fundraiser, it was a pleasure to present Christine Burns ... more
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Happy Mother's Day! 14th May 2023 To all the Mums who pack lunches, do our laundry, get the kids to school, go to work, cook our dinner and still have the energy to make sure we didn't forget to tuck ... more
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Today is International Nurses Day 12th May 2023 Whether hospital, aged care, home care, community or disability support, our lives would be far harder without our nurses. Take a moment today to show your ... more
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NSW Fire + Rescue open day 11th May 2023 A number of local Fire and Rescue stations will hold their annual open day this Saturday, May 13, from 10am-2pm. You can check updates for individual stations ... more
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An honour and a privilege to be elected Speaker 9th May 2023 What a whirlwind of a few days. Yesterday I was unanimously elected Speaker of the 58th Legislative Assembly. While it's an enormous honour, this is a Parliament ... more
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58th Parliament meets for first time tomorrow 8th May 2023 The 58th NSW Parliament meets for the first time tomorrow so things have been pretty hectic over the past few weeks. While it won't quite have the pageantry of a ... more
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New walking trails open at Martinsville 5th May 2023 Yesterday, NSW Forestry Corporation and the University of Newcastle officially opened the Littlejohn’s Tree Frog Walking Trail at The Pines Picnic area in the ... more
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60 years of wedded bliss! 26th April 2023 Congratulations to David and Kathleen Kelly who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. They say that trust, tolerance and love are the key ingredients ... more
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Big crowds attend Anzac Day services 25th April 2023 The day started for many at a local Dawn Service. Mine was at Speers Point before attending services at Dora Creek and later at Rathmines Memorial Park. Such a beautiful day that belied the grim reality of so much of what our service men ... more
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We will remember them, always 25th April 2023 At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them. LEST WE FORGET. ... more
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Your guide to local Anzac Day services 24th April 2023 Here's a full list of Anzac Day services happening in the Lake Macquarie electorate on Tuesday. Be sure to get along to at least one of them. LEST WE FORGET ... more
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Book chronicles 102 years of Wangi Wangi Public School 23rd April 2023 Wangi Wangi Public School celebrated a very big milestone recently and local historian Doug Saxon put together a brilliant book to mark the occasion. Called 'Wangi Wangi Public School, Celebrating 100+ Years 1920-2022', the book contains a ... more
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2023 Anzac Day booklet out now 21st April 2023 People living in my electorate should have received this year's Anzac Day commemorative booklet which I send out annually. This year's booklet contains ... more
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Origin pushing ahead on $600m Eraring battery plan 20th April 2023 Some big news from Origin Energy today regarding their site at Eraring. Work will start within weeks on a $600m battery storage system at Eraring which will allow ... more
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12yo Brody is cleaning up the lake 17th April 2023 The environment needs champions and 12-year-old Brody Riant from Morisset Park is a real champion making a big difference as he cleans up rubbish in and ... more
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Weevils are doing their job on Muddy Lake 16th April 2023 A bit of good news on Muddy Lake at Dora Creek. The photo above shows that the weevils are finally doing their job on the salvinia infestation. This is fantastic ... more
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Back to work after poll is declared 14th April 2023 The poll has been officially declared for Lake Macquarie and along with my staff, I'm excited to continue working with our community to achieve everything our ... more
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Order! Order! I have some news 4th April 2023 I met with the new Premier Chris Minns yesterday and want you to know that he’s offered his support to me taking the role of Speaker in the 58th NSW ... more
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First pitch thrown for local baseball season 2nd April 2023 What a way to round out the weekend, throwing the ceremonial first pitch for the Toronto Tigers Baseball Club, to mark the start of the first grade season. Go Tigers! ... more
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Clocks go back tonight 1st April 2023 YES! It’s sleep-in day tomorrow! Clocks go BaCK one hour tonight as daylight saving ends. That means that the clocks in the car, oven and microwave which you ... more
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We must ensure baseload energy supplies 31st March 2023 As you may have read, Origin Energy which owns Eraring Power Station is the subject of a takeover deal by Brookfield Asset Management and MidOcean Energy. ... more
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Crossbench commitment will provide for stable government 27th March 2023 In line with statements I made before Saturday’s election, I’ve joined my independent colleagues Alex Greenwich (Sydney) and Dr Joe McGirr (Wagga Wagga) ... more
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Thanks so much, Lake Macquarie! 26th March 2023 What an amazing result for us last night and I cannot thank my team and our local community enough. Despite big swings across the State to Labor, we ... more
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The people always get it right 24th March 2023 Election day tomorrow. I've always let my record speak for itself but that never takes the anxiety away. One thing I know for sure is that ... more
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Build them here 22nd March 2023 I've backed the 'Build Them Here' campaign since it first began and today I've recommitted that pledge to support government procurement policies which ... more
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Where I stand on privatisation 21st March 2023 Don’t believe the myth that only the Liberals sell our public assets. We saw a State Labor Government sell off NSW Lotteries and the electricity retailers, and ... more
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$2.3m lead legacy fund for Boolaroo 20th March 2023 Just a quick update for Boolaroo residents on the additional $2.3m I secured for the management of lead legacy issues in the area. Lake Mac council has now ... more
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Solar incentives needed for renters and Government housing 19th March 2023 The Government and Labor Opposition have released their energy policies and while both have supportable elements, each has a major flaw in that they largely ... more
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Protecting our kids is everyone's business 18th March 2023 Throughout March, Toronto business owners and staff are donning orange ribbons to promote Lake Macquarie charity Hearts and Hands Community Development ... more
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Pre-poll voting opens tomorrow 17th March 2023 Pre-poll voting opens at Toronto and Speers Point tomorrow (Saturday) and at Cooranbong on Monday. Election Day is the following Saturday March 25. ... more
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$250 travel card available to Lake Mac apprentices 16th March 2023 Just a reminder to apprentices and uni students living in the Lake Macquarie electorate that you can now apply for a $250 travel card to help ease transport costs. ... more
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Selfless heroes delivering to those in need 15th March 2023 It's amazing what we can accomplish when we work together. Today I joined Maria Martin from Survivor's R Us Incorporated and Adam Loftus from Foodbank ... more
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Gaming industry reform long overdue 14th March 2023 I had three very interesting meetings recently – one with the NSW Crime Commission, one with Clubs NSW and one with online betting giant SportsBet. I came ... more
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Why we need a transition authority 12th March 2023 One of the greatest challenges of our time is how we manage the transition from fossil fuel generated energy to renewables. It's a challenge that will impact ... more
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Election: postal voting and early polling 11th March 2023 The State election is now just two weeks away and I can smell the sausage sizzles already! My office is getting hundreds of inquiries so I thought this guide ... more
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Police campaign has my full support 8th March 2023 Great to meet with the Police Association of NSW again this morning to run through some of the major issues our frontline police are having. Police resources ... more
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Total fire ban in place today 6th March 2023 We have a couple of very warm days ahead and that's prompted a total fire ban today, and likely again tomorrow. A good idea to keep all pets a bit cool today ... more
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Cheaper fuel in Morisset, finally! 2nd March 2023 A heads-up for the many long-suffering motorists (like me) in the Morisset area. The BP on Wyee Rd in the Morisset industrial estate has been taken over by ... more
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Planned Morisset sport hub enters new design phase 2nd March 2023 The Office of Sport has released the results of the community survey it took late last year for the planned sport and rec hub at Morisset. It asked locals about ... more
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Port of Newcastle bill clears its final legislative hurdle 1st March 2023 They said we couldn’t do it, but we did. I’m up in Newcastle today with Treasurer Matt Kean MP who is announcing that my Port of Newcastle Bill has cleared ... more
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A decade of incredible voluntary service from Southlakes Inc 22nd February 2023 Today marks 10 years since the amazing Christine Mastello launched Southlake's Incorporated. Over the past decade Southlake's Inc has helped an ... more
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The Queen of Morisset Spinners turns 100 21st February 2023 I was absolutely delighted to join the 'Queen of Morisset Spinners and Weavers' Marjorie Whitbourne today to celebrate her 100th birthday. Reaching 100 ... more
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Thanks for your 50 years of community service, Alan 20th February 2023 I had the absolute pleasure of popping in to see Alan Whatson at Cooranbong today to properly acknowledge his 50 years of service as a Justice of the Peace. ... more
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Seniors Leisure Festival on this Sunday 18th February 2023 Looking forward to seeing everyone at The Rotary Club of Morisset's seniors festival tomorrow (Sunday). It's on at Morisset Showground from 10am to 2pm with ... more
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Clubs share $50,000 in local sport grants 17th February 2023 Best part of my job - getting grants and financial assistance for our many local sporting, community and cultural groups. Today it's local sports grants and we've ... more
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Nursing staff ratios are about patient care 16th February 2023 Nurse-to-patient ratios are not about money, they're about vital patient care! Great to catch up again with some of our nurses and midwives yesterday in ... more
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Major parties addicted to donations from gambling industry 15th February 2023 Here’s another 23,653,955 reasons why it’s so hard for Labor and the Coalition to properly reform the gaming sector and rein in gambling advertising. It’s ... more
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Meet the real heroes in our community 14th February 2023 I spent Valentine's Day morning with a charity group close to my heart. Survivor's R Us Incorporated helps not only survivors of domestic violence ... more
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Regional roads ignored while Western Sydney gets a cash splash 13th February 2023 Another day, another promise from the Government and Labor Opposition to pump hundreds of millions of your tax dollars into Western Sydney. In addition ... more
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Lake Mac Parkrun celebrates a milestone 11th February 2023 Lake Mac parkrun turned emerald this morning in celebration of its 10th anniversary. In 2013 emerald was voted the colour of the year as it represents ... more
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Bolton Point tennis club serves up an ace 10th February 2023 It was wonderful to join with members of the Bolton Point Tennis Club this afternoon for the official opening of the club's newly resurfaced tennis courts. ... more
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Election info - postal voting open now 7th February 2023 If you'll be out of town for the State election on March 25 you should apply for a postal vote now. Everyone in my Lake Macquarie electorate should have received a postal vote application form in the mail last month. If you ... more
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Some leadership at last on gaming reform 6th February 2023 Just did a press conference in Sydney on gambling industry reform with my independent colleague Alex Greenwich, gambling reform advocate Tim Costello and ... more
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New Landcare and Sustainable Living centre open at Booragul 2nd February 2023 Really thrilled to see the new Landcare and Sustainable Living Centre opened at Booragul today. I'm the Patron of ... more
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Port's diversification plan full steam ahead 30th January 2023 Great to join the Deputy Premier Paul Toole MP at the Port of Newcastle today. I strongly believe that the port's diversification is vital to the future of our ... more
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The Class of 2023 begins today 30th January 2023 GOOD LUCK to all the young people heading back to school today and tomorrow, especially those starting kindy ... more
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Happy Australia Day! 26th January 2023 It really was a beautiful Australia Day morning at Rathmines where 93 people from 30 different countries were joined by their families and friends as they became Australian citizens. I enjoyed being able to speak with many recipients afterwards ... more
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2023 school holiday calendar 25th January 2023 I thought this might be handy for local families with children going back to school next week. The Department of Ed has produced a printable calendar which has all the school terms, pupil-free days, public holidays etc on it. ... more
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Apply now for Regional Seniors Travel Card 23rd January 2023 Applications for this year's Regional Seniors Travel Card open today (Monday Jan 23). Seniors living in my ... more
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List of 2023 public holidays in NSW 21st January 2023 If you’re planning holidays this year, here’s the official list of public holidays for 2023, confirmed with the new ‘King’s Birthday’ holiday in June which replaces the ... more
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Pokies reform is long overdue 18th January 2023 In just 92 days last year, poker machines in Lake Macquarie and Newcastle pubs and clubs made almost $100m ... more
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$150 Back to School vouchers available now 12th January 2023 Don't forget that parents and carers of school students can now get $150 (3 x $50) worth of back-to-school vouchers per eligible child. Vouchers can be used ... more
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Commission gives Port bill the thumbs up 11th January 2023 We got the thumbs up from the Productivity Commission yesterday on my Port of Newcastle bill which ... more
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$700,000 in State funds for local youth services 20th December 2022 A bit of good news for local youth support services today. I can confirm that two valuable local organisations will share more than $700,000 in State funding. ... more
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Plan ahead for fireworks displays 20th December 2022 There are a number of licenced fireworks displays approved between now and NYE, and Lake Macquarie City Council has put a handy list together so you can ... more
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Southlakes Inc brings some welcome Christmas cheer 17th December 2022 I thoroughly enjoyed attending Southlake's Incorporated Kids Christmas Party today. Volunteers have been working tirelessly for months to make today's event ... more
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Apply now for Back to School vouchers 15th December 2022 Parents of school students can now apply to get $150 (3 x $50) worth of back-to-school vouchers per eligible child. I think this is a great initiative by the State Government and will help ease the cost of living pressures on a lot of local families. ... more
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2023 Seniors Card Directories and diaries arrive 9th December 2022 The new 2023 NSW Seniors Card Directories have arrived. My office also has a few of the 2023 Legal Aid diaries available as well. Both are free and will go ... more
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Covid cases on the rise locally again 8th December 2022 Just a heads-up that the latest Covid variants are running rampant in the local community. There were 900 new local cases reported on Tuesday ... more
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22 local groups secure CBP grants 6th December 2022 Very happy to announce that 22 local groups have been successful in securing grants under this year’s Community Building Partnership scheme. The groups ... more
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December newsletter out now 6th December 2022 My December newsletter is currently being mailed to homes in the electorate. This edition includes updates on the new sport and rec hub, Muddy Lake, major road projects, school centenaries, housing issues and much more. If you ... more
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Pop over and see me at Morisset Christmas Market 3rd December 2022 It's a beautiful summer's day at the Morisset Showground Markets today with the spirit of Christmas in full swing. I'm enjoying meeting up with locals and giving away my ever popular Greg bags. Pop over and say hello! ... more
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2023 Diary for Seniors now available 1st December 2022 They've arrived! The new Legal Topics for Seniors Diary 2023 is now available from my office at Toronto. Don't forget that my office has moved and is now located at 126A Cary St at Toronto. It's open from 8am to 4pm each weekday. ... more
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Big increase to local school funding 28th November 2022 Very happy to report that public schools in my electorate will share in almost $13.5m in RAM funding next year, an increase of $1.5m. RAM (or Resource Allocation ... more
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Teralba Sailing Club puts CBP funds to good use 26th November 2022 I really enjoyed visiting Teralba Amateur Sailing Club today for the official naming/launch of the new safety boat, Al Kildey. Named after one of the founders of the sailing club, it was purchased with some assistance through ... more
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Wangi Wangi Public School celebrates centenary 25th November 2022 Congratulations to Wangi Wangi Public School on your centenary today! It was wonderful to join with you this afternoon to celebrate 100 years of learning at your exceptional school which served as both an educational and community ... more
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Nominate a local legend 24th November 2022 Do you know a local legend who volunteers their time for a worthy cause without fuss or much acknowledgement? Well here's your chance to change that and give them some worthy recognition! Hunter Volunteer Centre is taking nominations for ... more
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Have your say Dora Ck intersection plan 23rd November 2022 Transport for NSW is seeking feedback on (very, very) long-awaited plans to fix the Dora Creek intersection near the train station. As you can see in the pic and on ... more
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Have your say on planned sport and rec hub 22nd November 2022 Some big news (finally!) on the new sport and recreation hub planned for Morisset and an update on the former site at Myuna Bay. The NSW Office of Sport has ... more
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Two important bills passed in final sitting week 17th November 2022 It's the final sitting week of the current Parliament but I got to sign off on two very important pieces of legislation in my role as Assistant Speaker in recent days. The first is the Port of Newcastle bill. I'm pleased to say that ... more
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Hillsborough Rd plan open for public comment 14th November 2022 Good news and bad news on the Hillsborough Rd widening project. After I was able to secure $35m for this project in last year's State Budget, Transport ... more
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Regatta off to a flying start 14th November 2022 The 2022 November Emergency Services Regatta is off to a cracking start. It was great to join with NSW Police & Emergency Services Sailing Club at Royal Motor ... more
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Fight for a hospital at Morisset continues 10th November 2022 I'll never give up on the fight for a hospital and better public health services in the Morisset area. Not for the first time this year and certainly not for the last, ... more
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Port of Newcastle bill passes both Houses 10th November 2022 WE GOT THERE! The Port of Newcastle Bill has just passed both Houses of Parliament in a great win for our region. Thank you to everyone who has supported this ... more
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Government backs my Port of Newcastle Bill 8th November 2022 A busy day in Parliament today with debate set to start on my Port of Newcastle bill. As you may have read in the media this morning, I've agreed to a Government ... more
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We're in! New Toronto office now open 7th November 2022 We're in, back to full operations and everything in the new office appears to be working, although now I have to head to Sydney for a massive two weeks of ... more
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ADRA op-shop expands at Morisset 6th November 2022 I was really pleased to join with representatives from ADRA Australia along with Councillor Madeline Bishop for the official opening of Morisset ADRA ... more
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Peter Pan Preschool marks 60 fabulous years 28th October 2022 What a beautiful day in Lake Macquarie! It was great to join with the wonderful service providers PeterPan Preschool and the multiple generations of people who have ... more
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Weekly Covid update - October 28 28th October 2022 Please note that I've chosen not to include new case numbers in the weekly updates any more. Given that it's no longer mandatory to report Covid cases, ... more
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Plastic straws and cutlery banned from November 1 27th October 2022 The second phase of the State Government's ban on single-use plastics comes into force next Tuesday. The phase-out of single-use plastic bags began ... more
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'Smart buoy' data now available publicly 26th October 2022 Just a quick follow-up to my recent post about the 'smart buoy' which is now monitoring water conditions in the vicinity of the recent fish kills at Mannering Park. ... more
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Electorate office is on the move 25th October 2022 After almost 15 years in the old house on Victory Parade, my electorate office is being moved into a new office on Cary St over the next week or so. ... more
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Dora Ck bridge, coercive control, fish kills and more on Parliamentary agenda this week 21st October 2022 A very big week in Parliament this week. Here's a quick summary of a few things I thought you'd be interested in (a link to all of my speeches is below). ... more
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Weekly Covid update - October 21 21st October 2022 Lives lost in Hunter Health district in past week: 5 (Down 2 on previous week). Lives lost in Hunter Health district since start of pandemic: 527 (Up 5 on ... more
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Taxi deregulation plan is costing local cabbies their livelihoods 20th October 2022 Have just addressed a rally of the State's taxi drivers outside Parliament House to back them in their fight against proposed government reforms which will leave most of them high and dry. ... more
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Celebrating Pride in Lake Macquarie 15th October 2022 What an interesting week I’ve had! Introducing a bill into Parliament to unshackle the Port of Newcastle through to this afternoon officially opening the inaugural Lake Macquarie Pride By Night at Speers Point Park. ... more
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'No body, no parole' laws passed 14th October 2022 It's been a busy week in Macquarie St but I thought you'd be interested in the Parliament unanimously passing the State Government's 'no body, no ... more
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Weekly Covid update - October 14 14th October 2022 Sorry I'm a bit late with this week's update. Worth noting that from today, NSW Health has changed the rules around isolation periods for people with Covid. ... more
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Port of Newcastle bill introduced into Parliament 13th October 2022 I've introduced a new Bill in the Parliament today which is aimed at allowing the Port of Newcastle to diversify into a container terminal by removing the ... more
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Hi-tech buoy to monitor water quality in bay where fish died 11th October 2022 Just a quick update on the EPA's investigation into the fish kills at Mannering Bay. Firstly, the investigation is still under way but the EPA has asked anglers ... more
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More rain on the way 7th October 2022 There's a lot of talk about the incoming weather system but at this stage it doesn't look like anything too severe for our district, although initial warnings have been issued for the Hunter, Williams and Paterson Rivers to our north. ... more
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See you at the Over 50s Expo 7th October 2022 I'm at the Morisset Over 50s Expo located at the Church in the Trees Morisset Uniting this morning. On site there are a variety of government services, volunteering ... more
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Weekly Covid update - October 7 7th October 2022 Lives lost in Hunter Health district in past week: 12 (Up 8 on previous week). Lives lost in Hunter Health district since start of pandemic: 515 (Up 12 on previous week). ... more
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Weekly Covid update - September 29 29th September 2022 Lives lost in Hunter Health district in past week: 4 (Down 6 on previous week). Lives lost in Hunter Health district since start of pandemic: 503 (Up 4 on previous week). ... more
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Bee update: local eradication begins 23rd September 2022 Not the best day for a lot of local beekeepers today with DPI starting to euthanise hives in Lake Macquarie which are in the red 'eradication zone'. ... more
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17 cane toads found at Mandalong 22nd September 2022 The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has informed me that 17 cane toads were found under sheets of tin on a property at Mandalong. We’re being urged to report any sightings of these pests, so be on the lookout! ... more
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Weekly Covid update - September 22 22nd September 2022 The good news is that case numbers have continued to fall over the past week and that death and hospitalisation numbers are also falling. Lives lost in Hunter Health ... more
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Women of the Year: nominations open 19th September 2022 Here's your opportunity to recognise some of the extraordinary women in the local community. Nominations are now open in a number of categories ... more
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Get ready for bushfire season 16th September 2022 Don't let all this rain fool you - bushfires will still be a risk to your home and family this summer. Local RFS stations will be among the many statewide ... more
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Lake Macquarie is home to 70 new Australians 16th September 2022 It was an honour to join 70 Lake Macquarie residents as they officially became Australians during a citizenship ceremony at Rathmines this morning. ... more
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Wangi school prepares for centenary 15th September 2022 Wangi Wangi Public School will celebrate its centenary in November and is seeking help from former students to mark the occasion (see below) ... more
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Weekly Covid update - Sept 15 15th September 2022 The good news is that case numbers have fallen quite significantly over the past week, both locally and statewide. Hopefully that translates into a fall ... more
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Condolence book for Queen Elizabeth 13th September 2022 Have just visited Government House here in Sydney to sign the condolence book for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II with the Parliament's Deputy Speaker Leslie ... more
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Our Indonesian community celebrates Independence Day 12th September 2022 It was an honour to have been a special guest of the Consul-General of Indonesia last night in Sydney to celebrate the 77th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence. ... more
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Queen Elizabeth II: we will miss her calm demeanour and her constant presence 9th September 2022 As inevitable as Her Majesty’s eventual passing would be, the news overnight of Queen Elizabeth’s death has hit people from all over the world very hard. ... more
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Every day is R U OK Day 8th September 2022 Today is R U OK Day and I'm looking forward to joining a number of community groups on a 'wellness walk' through Morisset. You should join us! Wear ... more
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WWII veteran Alf Carpenter dies, aged 105 8th September 2022 Saddened to learn of the passing of Alf Hamilton who only recently celebrated his 105th birthday. Alf was a WWII veteran and while he was a member of the ... more
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Weekly Covid update - September 3 8th September 2022 Lives lost in Hunter Health district in past week: 21 (Up 2 on previous week). Lives lost in Hunter Health district since start of pandemic: 468 (Up 21 on ... more
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EPA investigating second fish kill in lake 7th September 2022 A second fish kill in the lake near Mannering Park yesterday is alarming. As I reported only last week following the first kill, the EPA had completed all the tests it ... more
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Weekly Covid update - Sept 1 1st September 2022 New cases in Lake Macquarie: 868 (Down 272 on previous week). New cases in Hunter Health district: 4553 (Down 1242 on previous week). New ... more
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EPA releases full test results on Lake Mac fish kill 30th August 2022 The full water and fish testing results collected by the EPA following the fish kill in the bay at Mannering Park have been released. As many suspected, the ... more
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Free RAT kits for concession card holders 30th August 2022 Eligible pensioners and concession card holders are entitled to free Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) kits, and these are now available at a number of local places until ... more
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A sneak peak inside State's new cyber security war room 29th August 2022 Here's a sneak peak inside NSW Police Force's new $23.5m Cyber Security Operations Centre. My congrats to the NSW Government on this investment, but I'd ... more
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Young people learn about responsible fishing 29th August 2022 It's great to see young people learning about the joy of fishing while also learning to be responsible and not take more fish than they need. Yesterday I had the ... more
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New Cooranbong playground opens 28th August 2022 It was a beautiful day for the official opening of the new Cooranbong playground. To see so many children and their families there, along with so many other members ... more
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Lake Mac economy rebounds 26th August 2022 Some encouraging data for Lake Macquarie in the latest job stats which show our region is recovering well from the economic pressures of the pandemic. ... more
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Weekly Covid update - Aug 25 25th August 2022 New cases in Lake Macquarie: 1140 (Down 698 on previous week). New cases in Hunter Health district: 5795 (Down 2125 on previous week). ... more
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Compo available to recreational beekeepers 24th August 2022 In some promising news, DPI is now confident that the varroa mite outbreak can be contained to the current affected areas. DPI has also opened applications ... more
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Covid update - Wednesday 24th August 2022 New cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 211. (Up 51 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 968 (Up 190 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4221 (Down 67 on previous day) ... more
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Covid update - Tuesday 23rd August 2022 New cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 160. New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 778 (Up 243 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4288 (Down 282 on previous day) ... more
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Covid Update - Monday 22nd August 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 535 (Up 44 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4570 (Down 21 on previous day). New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 5013 (Up 678 on previous day). Covid ... more
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Covid Update - Sunday 21st August 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 591 (Down 213 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4591 (Down 71 on previous day). New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 4335 (Down 1781 on previous ... more
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Covid Update - Saturday 20th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 177 (Down 30 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 804 (Down 159 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4662 (Down 127 on ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 19th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 207 (Down 29 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 963 (Down 140 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4789 (Down ... more
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Centenary plans for Fassifern Public School 18th August 2022 Fassifern Public School will celebrate its centenary in October so staff and students are looking for help in finding old photos, artefacts and stories from former ... more
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Covid Update - Thursday 18th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 236 (Down 76 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1106 (Down 50 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4898 (Down 137 on ... more
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Vietnam Veterans Day 18th August 2022 Today is Vietnam Veterans Day and we should pause to remember all of those who served, those who were wounded and those who sacrificed their lives during the atrocious Vietnam War. ... more
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Bee and varroa mite update 17th August 2022 Just a quick update on the varroa mite outbreak which has had very significant impacts on local bee populations and associated industries. The Dept of Primary Industries (DPI) has today changed the emergency zones for a large part ... more
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Covid Update - Wednesday 17th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 312 (Up 96 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1156 (Up 189 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5035 (Down 69 ... more
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Covid Update - Tuesday 16th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 216 (No data yesterday). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 967 (Up 273 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5104 (Down 219 on previous day) ... more
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Covid Update - Monday 15th August 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 694 (Down 212 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5323 (Down 59 on previous day). New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 5490 (Down 1489 on ... more
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Update on Lake Macquarie fish kill 15th August 2022 Investigations into the mystery fish kill at Mannering Park in Lake Macquarie are continuing this week, but preliminary tests have ruled out the possibility that ... more
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Covid Update - Sunday 14th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: N/A. New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 906 (Down 235 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5382 (Down 11 on previous day). New cases ... more
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Air race cancelled 13th August 2022 Disappointed to hear that the Air Race World Championship planned for Lake Macquarie in November has been cancelled. A statement from the organisers is in the photo below. The race was expected to bring an $8m economic boost to the region when ... more
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Covid Update - Saturday 13th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 250 (Down 65 on previous day), New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1141 (Down 151 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5393 (Down 61 on ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 12th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 315 (Down 46 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1292 (Down 256 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5454 (Down 32 on ... more
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Covid Update - Thursday 11th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 361 (Down 23 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1548 (Down 56 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5486 (Down 8 on ... more
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Covid Update - Wednesday 10th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 384 (Up 76 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1604 (Up 273 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5494 (Down 9 on previous ... more
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Covid Update - Tuesday 9th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 308 (yesterdays data not available). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1331 (Up 334 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5503 ... more
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Covid Update - Monday 8th August 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 997 (Down 371 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5616 (Up 65 on previous day). New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 7648 (Down 2379 on previous ... more
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Covid Update - Sunday 7th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: N/A (data not available at time of posting). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1368 (Down 281 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5551 (Up 135 on ... more
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Covid Update - Saturday 6th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 418 (Up 26 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1724 (Up 75 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5507 (Up 91 on previous day) ... more
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Beat the bowser blues 5th August 2022 Here's my tip for the day: avoid buying petrol at Morisset and Toronto because they're ripping you off. For the life of me I can't understand why petrol is still 20 cents ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 5th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 391 (Down 149 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1649 (Down 417 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5416 ... more
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Covid update - Thursday 4th August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 540 (Up 71 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 2066 (Down 118 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5402 ... more
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Info session on new flight paths 4th August 2022 As you may be aware, flight paths for aircraft into and out of Newcastle Airport are being reviewed and changed. This is partly to do with increased passenger flights ... more
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Covid Update - Wednesday 3rd August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 469 (Up 93 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 2184 (Up 713 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5247 (Up 61 on ... more
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Covid Update - Tuesday 2nd August 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 376 (yesterdays figure unavailable). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1471 (Up 187 on previous days figure). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5186 ... more
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Covid Update - Monday 1st August 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1284 (Yesterdays figure N/A). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5283 (Yesterdays figure N/A). New cases state-wide in past 24 hours: 9471 (Down 1522 on previous ... more
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Queen's Scout honours for Jacinta and Boston 1st August 2022 Tonight I had the absolute privilege of joining with Jacinta Gomez and Boston Smith of 1st Byattunga Scouts - Morisset to honour their becoming Queen’s Scouts. ... more
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It's National Tree Day! 31st July 2022 It’s National Tree Day! This morning, Belinda from my office joined the Five Bays Sustainable Neighbourhood Group for a tree planting at Blackalls Park with ... more
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Covid Update - Saturday 30th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 468 (Down 3 on yesterdays figure) New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1884 (Down 177 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5126 (Up 104 on ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 29th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 2061 (Up 4 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 5022 (Up 102 on yesterdays figure). New cases state-wide in past 24 hours: 14,927 (Down 777 on previous day) ... more
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Covid Update - Thursday 28th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 2057 (Up 76 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4920 (Up 42 on yesterdays figure). New cases state-wide in past 24 hours: 15,704 (Down 469 on previous day). ... more
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Covid Update - Wednesday 27th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 466 (Up 88 on yesterdays figure). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1981 (Up 272 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4878 (Up 45 on yesterdays ... more
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Expansion for disability services provider 27th July 2022 It was so pleasing to see such a credible organisation as The Disability Trust further investing in our region with their new office and facilities at Argenton. ... more
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Covid Update - Tuesday 26th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 378 (yesterdays figure N/A at time of posting). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1709 (Up 278 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: ... more
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Covid Update - Monday 25th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: - (figure N/A at time of posting). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1431 (Down 227 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4918 (Up 108 on yesterdays figure) ... more
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Covid Update - Sunday 24th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1658 (Down 202 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4811 (Up 143 on yesterdays figure). New cases state-wide in past 24 hours: 12,820 (Down 2133 on ... more
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Covid Update - Saturday 23rd July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 377 (Down 188 on Yesterdays figure). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1860 (Up 878 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4668 (Up 54 on ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 22nd July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 565 (Up 99 on Yesterdays figure). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 982 (Down 848 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4614 ... more
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Covid Update - Thursday 21st July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 466 (Up 67 on Yesterdays figure). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1830 (Down 19 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4494 (Up 137 on ... more
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Reclassification will improve our area's chronic shortage of GPs 21st July 2022 Great news today for many in the community who've been struggling to see a GP. I've been raising this issue with State and Federal Health Ministers for many years. ... more
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Covid Update - Wednesday 20th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 399 (Up 8 on Yesterdays figure). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1849 (Up 90 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4357 (Down ... more
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Covid Update - Tuesday 19th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 391 (Yesterdays figure N/A) New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1759 (Up 609 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4375 (Up 30 on yesterdays ... more
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NAIDOC Week celebrations in full swing 18th July 2022 What a beautiful day for the community to come together at the Naidoc Westlakes family day. This year's NAIDOC theme is Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up and it’s fantastic ... more
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Covid Update - Sunday 17th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 363 (Down 9 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1264 (Down 103 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4345 (Up 106 on ... more
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Covid Update - Saturday 16th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 372 (Down 51 on previous day) New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1367 (Down 167 on previous day).Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4239 (Up 76 on ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 15th July 2022 New Cases in Lake Macquarie in the past 24 hours: 423 (Up 66 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1534 (Down 240 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4163 (Up 162 on previous day) ... more
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Community Grant Writing Workshop 14th July 2022 I often get asked about how to apply for State Government grants and what funding is available for local organisations. To help Lake Macquarie-based groups have the best chance at securing funding, ... more
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Covid Update - Thursday 14th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1774 (Up 434 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 4060 (Up 157 on previous day) New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 14,235 (Up 3613 on previous da ... more
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Covid update - Wednesday 13th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1340 (Up 245 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 3903 (Down 1 on previous day). New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 10,622 (Down 184 on previous day). ... more
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Covid Update - Tuesday 12th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1095 (Up 136 on previous day).Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 3904 (Up13 on previous day) New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 10,806 (Up 3220 on previous ... more
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NAIDOC Week celebrations postponed to next Monday 12th July 2022 With the horrible weather playing havoc with NAIDOC Week celebrations last week, the annual Naidoc Westlakes Family Day and Colour Run was postponed to next Monday July 18. With most of the local kids not due back at school until Tuesday it'll be great ... more
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Covid update - Monday 11th July 2022 New cases in Lake Macquarie yesterday: latest figure not available, but Saturday's figure was 419, up 95 on the previous day. New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 959. Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 3891. ... more
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Bee and varroa mite update 8th July 2022 Just a quick update on the varroa mite outbreak which is devastating the local bee population and associated industries. DPI yesterday detected varroa ... more
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Covid Update - Friday 8th July 2022 FOURTH VACCINATION RECOMMENDED As you may have already heard, ATAGI has approved a fourth booster shot for people aged 30 and over. A fourth vaccination for people aged 50 to 64 is highly ... more
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The new Weir Bridge opened to traffic 8th July 2022 The new dual-lane bridge over Cockle Creek at Barnsley has opened today, replacing the old single-lane weir crossing which is ironically under floodwater today. ... more
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Covid update - Thursday 7th July 2022 New cases in Lake Macquarie yesterday: 397 (Down 3 on previous day). New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1667. Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 3451 (Up 126 on previous day's figure) ... more
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Flood update - 10am Thursday 7th July 2022 The lake level peaked above the minor flood level on last night's high tide at 0.77m. It is expected to reach a similar level on this afternoon's high tide (2.21pm ... more
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Covid update - Wednesday 6th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1,698 (Up 477 on previous day) Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 3,325 (Up 121 on previous day's figure) New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 13,775 ... more
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Flood update - Midday Wednesday 6th July 2022 Below is an update from NSW SES Lake Macquarie Unit - my thanks again to all of those volunteers who are working extremely hard in very difficult circumstances. I Just want to add that I have spoken again to the Minister's office ... more
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3.30pm flooding update 5th July 2022 If you require assistance, please call the SES on 132 500, or follow NSW SES Lake Macquarie Unit or NSW SES Cooranbong Unit on Facebook. Lake ... more
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Covid update - Tuesday 5th July 2022 New cases in Hunter-New England Health district yesterday: 1221 (Up 65 on previous day). Cases in Lake Macquarie over the past four weeks: 3204 (Down 51 on previous day's figure). New cases statewide in past 24 hours: 10,504 ... more