Ross Kerridge 'seriously concerned' by Newcastle Airport's debt scandal

By Simon McCarthy

Updated November 3 2024 - 3:10pm, first published November 2 2024 - 4:34pm

Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge says he will call for a meeting with the Newcastle Airport's senior management after revelations the region's key infrastructural asset was drowning in debt and looking for a potential ratepayer bailout.

The airport, which is jointly owned by Newcastle and Port Stephens councils, is teetering and in desperate need of a funding injection, and internal reports show staff repeatedly warned the organisation was in financial turmoil with no clear plan to fund major projects.

Cr Kerridge took to social media on Saturday and said the contrast between the airport's public statements and what its own internal reports reveal "raises serious questions".

"As Newcastle and Port Stephens residents are the ultimate owners of this vital infrastructure, they deserve clear and transparent information about its financial health," he said.

"The potential consequences of any financial instability at the airport would directly impact our residents - our community shareholders - through increased rates, reduced community services, sale of assets, or raising charges to customers at the airport.

"It may also impact negotiations with potential industries or partners wishing to join the Newcastle Airport precinct developments. This does not, and will not ever, sit comfortably with me."

"Our community deserves nothing less than complete transparency about the state of their airport."

The crisis comes as a multi-million-dollar terminal expansion faces cost blowouts amid falling passenger numbers and unbudgeted spending for the Kongsberg missile factory and Lockheed Martin Air 6500 project.

The airport's outgoing CEO Peter Cock has strenuously denied the airport was facing money problems, though, and has insisted that the organisation's financial situation remains "robust".

Newcastle Airport board chair Jude Munro has similarly denied the organisation is in hot water and has labelled the Newcastle Herald's reporting on the subject as "sensationalised and inaccurate".

When she, Dr Cock and the airport were asked to detail any misrepresentations, they declined.

"I am disappointed to learn that our commitment to good governance and ongoing risk management analysis has been misrepresented," she said in a statement earlier this week.

"Our board of directors, known for their experience and expertise, passed a resolution and directed the airport leadership team for prudent management to maintain cash reserves of $15 million.

"This decision aligns with our best practice standards as a skills-based and risk-averse board."

As the Herald revealed at the weekend, the airport's loss-making property development arm, the Greater Newcastle Aerotropolis (GNAPL), appeared to be at the root of its problems and only survives due to cash injections from the airport's general operations.

According to a financial deep-dive report from April, GNAPL is simply not viable, or "bankable", as a standalone company yet. Falling passenger numbers following the collapse of Bonza and diverting millions in unbudgeted cash reserves to prop up GNAPL's property developments have sparked insolvency concerns.

Insiders say there are fears the airport is being "bled dry" and needs an urgent bailout.

"I will be meeting with the airport's senior management soon and expect these issues to be clarified," Cr Kerridge said.

Customarily, directors from both the City of Newcastle and Port Stephens Council sit on the Newcastle Airport Pty Ltd (NAPL) and the Greater Newcastle Aerotropolis (GNAPL) boards. Former Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes and City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath have retained their positions on the board until at least February next year in the interest of "stability" after the council voted on the matter earlier this week.

Councillors voted on Tuesday to keep Cr Nelmes and Mr Bath, whose fees for work as boards directors have risen to nearly $80,000 each per year, in the roles on an interim basis until a "merit-based" application process can be put together.

Cr Nelmes used her casting vote to appoint herself to the board in 2019 for a fee of $50,000.

The former mayor said there is a "huge amount of work" in the role and offered to mentor the person who is selected to take her place.

Cr Kerridge, who has declared a conflict of interest that would preclude him from sitting on the boards, absented himself from the vote.

Port Stephens general manager Tim Crosdale also sits on the boards, and newly elected Port Stephens mayor Leah Anderson has replaced the former mayor Ryan Palmer.

The details of this report are developing. It may be updated.

Company behind PEP11 gas project says it has been recommended for approval

By Matthew Kelly

October 17 2024 - 5:30am

📷 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese campaigning against PEP11 on Terrigal Beach in 2021.

The government agency responsible for the administration of petroleum titles in Australia has recommended a controversial gas exploration project off the Hunter coast proceed, according to the company seeking the licence.

BPH Energy, through its subsidiary Asset Energy, is seeking an extension of Petroleum Exploration Permit 11, or PEP11, which extends from Port Stephens to south of Sydney.

The project site is in Commonwealth waters 26 kilometers off Lake Munmorah, which is about 35 kilometers north of Prime Minister Anothony Albanese's new home in the Central Coast suburb of Copacabana.

Federal Industry and Science minister Ed Husic said last month that, based on the material provided to him, he had formed a "preliminary view" that the PEP11 permit should not be renewed.

The minister's comment was applauded by environment groups and local MPs who have been opposed to the project for close to a decade.

The government has provided the company with 1608 pages of material, which it has been asked to respond to before a final determination is made.

In a statement accompanying an update to the Australian Stock Exchange last week , BPH Energy said a copy of the National Offshore Petroleum Titles Administrator's recommendation, which recommended the project be approved, was among the documents it had received.

The company said it appeared the recommendation was mistakenly included in the 45 annexures of documents.

It declined to provide a copy document to the Newcastle Herald for legal reasons.

Both Mr Husic and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources declined to comment on the recommendation.

NOPTA previously recommended the PEP11 exploration project should proceed in 2020.

Despite having the support of former resources minister Keith Pitt, former prime minister Scott Morrision sensationally intervened to stop the project in late 2021.

The decision was voided in February 2023 after Asset challenged the validity of Mr Morrison's decision-making authority in the Federal Court.

📷 Map shows the PEP11 zone in relation to the Hunter Offshore Wind project.

The latest application is being considered by the Commonwealth-NSW Offshore Petroleum Joint Authority.

Asset Energy has argued that the project is necessary to alleviate the national "gas crisis".

Chief executive David Breeze told the Herald last month that the company would again seek legal recourse if it considered its application had not been dealt with fairly.

"The need for gas has become much more critical," Mr Breeze said.

"NSW is suffering the highest rate of business insolvencies relative to past times, inflation is still at a high and the cost of energy is a key point there. It's critical that this project proceeds."

Surfers for Climate is among the groups opposed to PEP11.

"It shouldn't be understated that there is a toll being taken on coastal communities when they are constantly on edge about potential oil and gas activity off their beaches,"chief executive Josh Kirkman previously said.

"Australia does not need new oil and gas projects in our ocean, when the tide is certainly turning towards renewables and the electrification of our homes at scale."

The state government recently introduced legislation earlier this year banning offshore petroleum drilling projects, such as PEP11, in NSW coastal waters.

The legislation was driven, in part, by a significant public backlash against the PEP11 project.

'We declined': Newcastle Mums reject volunteer awards to make a point

By Damon Cronshaw

Updated October 16 2024 - 3:47pm, first published 12:30pm

📷 Megan Clarke, Kerrie McGrath and Claire Paterson, of Newcastle Mums for Palestine, declined volunteer awards from Sharon Claydon. Picture supplied

Three mums have declined a volunteer award from Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon to highlight the "daily struggles faced by Palestinians".

The trio, of Newcastle Mums for Palestine, attended a ceremony for volunteer awards on Tuesday.

But when Ms Claydon presented the awards, they declined to accept them.

Megan Clarke, a member of the group, said they "declined to shake" Ms Claydon's hand at the ceremony and "instead passed on three important documents".

These were: A list of children who died in Gaza since October 7; an Australian Centre for International Justice statement on "occupied Palestinian territory" and a study in The Lancet on the death toll in Gaza.

The mums group said that it would, under different circumstances, "welcome this recognition from our elected federal representative".

The group had done advocacy and fundraising work over the past year.

"Our own work pales in comparison to the daily struggles faced by Palestinians," Mrs Clarke said.

She added that the fundraising helped relatives of a Palestinian family in Newcastle to escape Gaza and come to Australia.

The group was concerned about a lack of "access to humanitarian visas" for Palestinian refugees.

"We do not do this work simply because we have the time to spare for a worthy cause," Mrs Clarke said.

She added that the trio did not take up anyone else's time when they declined the awards at the ceremony.

Mrs Clark said Ms Claydon had been "notably absent from all our community events held over the past 12 months, despite multiple invitations".

"She is yet to attend a local rally. She is yet to adequately acknowledge the presence of peaceful protestors, who gather outside her office twice a week."

Ms Claydon declined to comment.

More than 42,000 people had been killed and more than 99,000 injured in Gaza by Israeli forces, Gaza's health ministry says.

Israel says more than 1200 people, mostly civilians, were killed when Hamas terrorists attacked on October 7.

More than 250 hostages were taken into Gaza. About 100 remained there, while about 40 had died.

WARNING: This story contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died.

In short:

An inquest has begun into a fatal police shooting in Newcastle last year.

The inquest was played the police body-worn camera vision, which shows a man lunging at police with a knife before one officer fires his gun.

What's next:

The inquest is expected to hear evidence over coming days before the Deputy State Coroner hands down a finding.

'Be alert': roll with Newcastle voter details missing after council election

📷 A map of Ward 3. Picture by NSW Electoral Commission

A PRINTED roll containing the personal information of voters, including home addresses and birthdays, is missing after the Newcastle council elections.

The authorised roll used to mark off electors from Ward 3 remains unaccounted than more than three weeks after polls closed.

The data of 30,971 electors in City of Newcastle Ward 3 is printed on the missing roll, as at August 5, 2024.

It contains each voter's identification number, their full name, residential address, date of birth and sex.

For silent electors, their identification number, full name and sex is printed on the document.

The NSW Electoral Commission has urged those affected to be on alert for the possible misuse of their personal details.

A public announcement from the commission on Tuesday said those affected were being contacted directly by mail and informed of the actions they could take to protect themselves.

The NSW Electoral Commission was working with NSW Police and the NSW Privacy Commissioner.

The issue was discovered following the pack-down of a polling place after voting closed on election day, on September 14, when the printed rolls were collected for scanning and checking.

Acting NSW Electoral Commissioner Dr Matthew Phillips said all possible action was being taken to locate the missing roll.

He confirmed all ballot papers were secure.

"I apologise to the electors of Ward 3 of the City of Newcastle for the concern this will cause and encourage them to be alert to any potential misuse of their details," he said.

"This does not affect the validity of the City of Newcastle election results.

"All votes taken at the polling place where the roll was used were counted on election night and continued through the usual ballot tracking, counting and results processes."

Electors who did not cast a vote in Ward 3 will not be issued with a fine because the commission cannot check who was marked off at the polling place where the roll went missing.

Dr Phillips said the NSW Electoral Commission was investigating the incident and would review its processes for opportunities to strengthen security processes around the management of printed rolls.

The polling place at the centre of the investigation has not been made public.

There were 10,739 printed rolls distributed to 2099 venues for the 2024 local government elections.

All have been accounted for except the one in City of Newcastle Ward 3, which covers the New Lambton area.

Only enrolled electors and non-residential electors for Ward 3 of the City of Newcastle are listed on the printed roll.

People can make a complaint by emailing privacy.newcastle@elections.nsw.gov.au if they are not happy with the handling of the incident.

Anyone with information that may assist investigations has been urged to contact NSW Police on 4926 6599.

Keolis Downer bungle forces Newcastle bus fleet offline as registrations lapse

By Simon McCarthy

Updated October 2 2024 - 6:16pm, first published 6:08pm

Newcastle transport operator Keolis Downer has blamed an administrative error after the registration of a significant number of its Newcastle bus fleet was allowed to expire on Monday, September 30, forcing much of the city's fleet offline on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the operator, which runs just shy of 200 buses in Newcastle, apologised to travellers on the network on Wednesday afternoon after buses were suddenly recalled from service to the depots on Tuesday when the issue came to light.

Keolis Downer insisted on Wednesday that the fleet had recently passed all required safety checks and that, as of October 2, its entire fleet was back online and operating as normal.

"All vehicles are now registered. We have reviewed our processes to ensure this will not happen again," the spokesperson said in a brief statement. "We are very sorry for the impact this issue caused our customers."

The operator did not specify the number of buses included in the lapse on Wednesday, but the Newcastle Herald understands that as much as half the local fleet was affected.

Keolis Downer won a 10-year contract in 2016 to run the city's buses, the Stockton ferry and the Newcastle light rail. Still, earlier this year, the transport worker's union pushed the state government to return the public transport network to "public hands", citing a decline in bus service quality since privatisation.

"Privatising Newcastle's bus network has been a complete disaster. Commuters have had to deal with inferior services while drivers have had to fight for decent pay and conditions from Keolis Downer," Rail, Tram and Bus Union NSW secretary Toby Warnes told the Herald in July.

Since it took over in 2017, Keolis Downer has changed routes and timetables, which has sparked complaints from some passengers, and a 10,000-signature petition was tabled in Parliament in 2018.

The Minns government established a bus industry task force last year to examine the effects of privatisation and recommend improvements.

A report by the task force published in February identified four Hunter routes as "short-term" priorities - Charlestown to Newcastle via Jesmond and Newcastle University; Cameron Park to Newcastle via New Lambton; Cessnock to East Maitland; and Mimmi to Newcastle via Wallsend.

In short:

A group of Rising Tide protesters have stopped and climbed onto a coal train at Sandgate near Newcastle.

The group is protesting over federal approval of three coal mine expansions in NSW.

The company behind one of the expansions says it will support hundreds of regional jobs.

From 'The Daily Blue': https://www.facebook.com/dailybluenews/posts/pfbid02jJcnvE16wyx3WkqsX2X4j1vUV775yMwh1qw6TGztFU7xcMa65UN3v8Lwcr8GuAGml

Labor loses its stranglehold on Newcastle as new council faces emerge

By Madeline Link

September 20 2024 - 5:30am

LABOR will almost certainly lose its stranglehold on Newcastle as election results point to the party emerging from this election with five of the 13 seats on council.

Incoming Newcastle lord mayor Ross Kerridge faces negotiations with a handful of blocs when he takes the reins after Labor's previous majority took a hit amid a swing in the votes.

The Tally Room independent election analyst Ben Raue said there is no doubt the Newcastle council race is the state's "closest" and "most interesting" to watch.

Mr Raue has called nine of the 13 seats on Newcastle council, with postal votes still yet to be counted from each of the four wards.

Three candidates are elected to represent each ward in Newcastle, with a total of 13 councillors including the lord mayor.

In Ward 1, Our Newcastle mayoral candidate Ross Kerridge is due to take the top job after incumbent Labor lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes conceded defeat earlier this week.

When Cr Kerridge is formally declared lord mayor, his 23.1 per cent of the ward one vote will flow to the number two candidate on his ticket, Peter Gittins.

"I'm probably going to call that," Mr Raue said.

"They didn't have Newcastle pre-poll results [on Wednesday evening] and now they do, and he [Dr Kerridge] did really well on it.

"He won the pre-poll, so I'm willing to call that he's won his seat on council."

Labor Ward 1 candidate and incumbent deputy mayor Declan Clausen will be back for another term with 31.7 per cent of first preference votes.

Ward 1 covers Newcastle, Carrington, Stockton, Maryville, Tighes Hill, Mayfield and Warabrook.

Mr Gittins and Cr Clausen will likely be joined by incumbent Greens councillor Charlotte McCabe.

In Ward 2, Mr Raue said he is confident Labor candidate Paige Johnson and incumbent Liberal Cr Jenny Barrie will both take seats on the council.

Ms Johnson has made history as the first openly transgender woman to be elected to public office in the state.

In a Facebook statement, Ms Johnson said while her focus is on local government, she understands what the victory means for the trans and gender diverse community.

The third spot hangs in the balance between Our Newcastle Independent candidate Leisha Parkinson and Greens candidate Joel Pringle.

"It's too close to say," Mr Raue said.

"I think this is the kind of one where it will be really useful to see what the below the line votes do, because if one or the other does really well on the below the line votes that could change things up."

As of Thursday, Mr Pringle was leading by about 250 votes but there are still 3000 below the line votes yet to be counted.

Mr Raue said he does not believe incumbent Labor Cr Carol Duncan will be re-elected.

Ward 2 covers Adamstown, Hamilton and Merewether.

In Ward 3, Mr Raue is confident incumbent Labor lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes will return for another term, along with Our Newcastle candidate Mark Brooker and Greens candidate Sinead Francis-Coan.

Liberal incumbent Cr Callum Pull looks likely to return for another term in Ward 4 joined by incumbent Labor Cr Elizabeth Adamczyk.

The tug-of-war for the last seat in the ward looks to be between Labor incumbent Deahnna Richardson or Our Newcastle Independent candidate Tahlia Kelso.

"Almost all the preferences are from the Greens, so if those preferences favour Labor, Labor win, if the preferences favour Our Newcastle, they could win but they would need a strong flow," Mr Raue said.

"It's probably more likely that they would flow to Deahnna."

It's likely Labor will hold five seats on council, losing the majority it held this term with six Labor councillors plus the lord mayor.

Mr Raue said those five seats are "nothing to sneeze at".

"They can be outvoted, but not super easily," he said.

Last term, Labor held six seats on Newcastle council in addition to lord mayor Cr Nelmes.

Lord mayor Nuatali Nelmes concedes defeat to Independent Ross Kerridge

By Donna Page, Madeline Link, Gabriel Fowler and Anna Falkenmire

LORD mayor Nuatali Nelmes has conceded defeat to Independent candidate Ross Kerridge in what has been an almost unprecedented neck-and-neck race in Newcastle.

In a public statement, Cr Nelmes said "it is now evident" that she will likely fall just a few hundred votes short of re-election.

"I congratulate Dr Kerridge on his likely election as Newcastle's 15th lord mayor, and offer him my best wishes," she said.

"Though I am naturally disappointed in the outcome, I am incredibly proud of the progress we've made over my time as Newcastle's second-longest serving lord mayor.

"Over the last decade, I've had the honour of leading a dedicated team that has worked tirelessly to build a more sustainable, inclusive and thriving city."

Dr Kerridge held 35.19 per cent of first preference votes and Cr Nelmes held 31.87 per cent on Tuesday.

Cr Nelmes pointed out that the council had invested more than $1 billion in local public infrastructure, "protected local jobs and services", and had become the first council to use 100 per cent renewables, "all while tackling the impacts of a pandemic".

"Upgrades to public infrastructure are evident across our city," she said.

"I am particularly proud of delivering the iconic Bathers Way, upgrading the Newcastle Ocean Baths, and building 35 new playgrounds across our city," she said.

"We've worked tirelessly to address the Stockton erosion crisis, invest in new social and affordable housing, and expand Newcastle's cultural offerings through the Newcastle Art Gallery and the New Annual festival."

Dr Kerridge thanked Cr Nelmes for her concession and congratulated her on her achievement as lord mayor for the last decade. Independent candidate Ross Kerridge.

"Obviously we have important differences in our ideas of lord mayorship but I know that we're both very committed to Newcastle and I've always respected anyone who is prepared to be the person in the arena, rather than sit on the sidelines and be a critic," he said.

"I hope that Nuatali will find a way to contribute to public life using her great skills and knowledge into the future."

Dr Kerridge paid tribute to the "amazing team" that gathered around him in his campaign.

He said it was "truly extraordinary" to consider the amount of people who had given up their time and put in such an "enormous effort", some of whom he had never met before but who went "above and beyond".

"I would particularly like to pay tribute to my amazing campaign manager John Beach, and of course my extraordinary wife Marion who has been the bedrock of everything I have achieved professionally, including transforming herself into an absolutely extraordinarily effective political companion," he said.

"I look forward to serving the city in the capacity of lord mayor and promise that I'll do my best to listen and to effectively serve all the people of Newcastle into the future."

Cr Nelmes said the council had laid the foundation for future industries, such as the diversification of the Port of Newcastle, expansion of the John Hunter Hospital and University of Newcastle, and provided support for new industries like green hydrogen and offshore wind which she said will ensure that Newcastle continues to thrive as our state's second largest city, and capital of the nation's largest regional economy.

"I am proud to have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in Commonwealth funding to expand Newcastle Airport, upgrade the runway and develop surrounding industries that will enable tourism, manufacturing and export industries to prosper and expand," she said.

Cr Nelmes said the Broadmeadow precinct and fast rail would likely be the next big game-changers for the city.

"While I will not be returning as lord mayor, I am delighted to report that five of our six Labor ward councillors are likely to be re-elected, forming the largest group in the new council chamber," she said.

"Their experience and dedication will ensure continuity as they continue to build on the work we've delivered."

Cr Nelmes said that when she first joined the council in 2008, only two women served in the chamber of 13 councillors.

"Since then we made historic strides, increasing female representation to nine councillors," she said.

"I am pleased to see that this legacy of diversity will continue, with women making up 80 per cent of Labor councillors, 66 per cent of Greens councillors, and 50 per cent of Liberal councillors in the new council term."

Dr Ross Kerridge arrived to huge applause and chants of ‘Ross’ at his party as counting begins in the mayoral race for Newcastle.

Dr Kerridge said on Tuesday, before Cr Nelmes conceded, that he hoped he and Cr Nelmes could develop a "respectful and constructive" relationship whichever way the votes flowed.

"She has had a lot of experience, obviously our ideas differ, she has a lot to teach me and I would be prepared to listen," he said.

"I would hope whatever role I am in there will be a different tone to the council meetings."

Cr Nelmes said she "makes no apologies" for being bold and ambitious for Newcastle and the Hunter and "fighting for our fair share".

"I make no apologies for being bold and ambitious for Newcastle and the Hunter region and always fighting for our fair share. I will always be on team Newy," she said.

"My love for Newcastle, from Lambton to Wallsend, Blackbutt to Bathers Way, and Stockton to Minmi, is why I worked so hard to create a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient place for us all to live."

Cr Nelmes said she hopes the city's next leaders will continue to move forward and build on positive momentum the council has created.

"I look forward to watching Newcastle grow and thrive from a new perspective, and to supporting its progress in other ways," she said.

Cr Nelmes said for now she will be spending more time with her family and friends.

"During my last decade of public service, there have been many moments that have taken a back seat because of the demands of leadership," she said.

"Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this journey; my councillor colleagues, my friends and family, members of the Australian Labor Party and broader Labor movement, and the dedicated staff of the City of Newcastle.

"I know the important responsibility that comes with being the lord mayor of our fantastic community.

"It has been the privilege of a lifetime to serve our city as lord mayor."

On Tuesday, NSW Electoral Commission executive director of elections Andrea Summerell said postal votes could be the deciding factor in the Newcastle lord mayoral race as the result may come down to the wire.

An anxious almost 10-day wait was expected to lie ahead for candidates Dr Kerridge and Cr Nelmes with the distribution of preferences unable to occur until at least September 30 when postal votes were returned.

Hawk-eyed scrutineers, 12 from Cr Nelmes' camp and one from Dr Kerridge's, were going through each ballot paper with a fine-toothed comb.

From the time the result is declared, candidates have 24 hours to call for a recount, but Ms Summerell said that is "not common at all".

"We don't do recounts just because a person would want us to recount," she said.

"They would have to point to some kind of anomaly that's happened during the count, and closeness is not necessarily a reason for a recount," she said.

The current plans include 445 beds in the premises, located on the corner of Civic Lane and Worth Place. [Next to the big swerve in the light rail.]

Greta bus crash driver jailed for decades for killing 10, injuring 25

By Anna Falkenmire

September 11 2024 - 3:08pm

• Warning: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story may contain images of deceased persons.

📷 A sketch of Brett Button giving evidence in Newcastle District Court on September 11. Artwork by Rocco Fazzari

THE DRIVER who killed 10 people in a wedding bus crash at Greta last year has been jailed for more than 30 years.

Brett Andrew Button, 59, fronted a harrowing three-day sentencing hearing in Newcastle District Court this week.

Judge Roy Ellis on Wednesday sentenced Button to 32 years behind bars, with 24 years without parole.

Button has been waiting to find out his fate in custody since he struck a deal in May which saw him plead guilty to 10 counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.

He was also sentenced for nine counts of dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and 16 counts of driving furiously causing bodily harm.

With time served, Button will be eligible for release in May, 2048. His sentence will expire in 2056.

He was disqualified from driving for several years upon his release.

Button was behind the wheel of a charter coach transporting 35 wedding guests from a Hunter Valley estate to the newlywed couple's hometown of Singleton when it rolled on a Wine Country Drive roundabout at about 11.30pm on June 11, 2023.

His driving was impaired by the opioid prescription painkillers he was dependent on, he was going too fast, showing off and ignoring pleas from passengers to slow down before tragedy struck.

📷 Brett Andrew Button, 59, is facing a three-day sentence hearing in Newcastle District Court on September 10. Picture by Marina Neil

During the sentencing hearing on Monday and Tuesday, one by one, more than 40 grieving family members, survivors and the injured tried to put into words the gravity of their losses in powerful victim impact statements.

Husband and wife Andrew and Lynan Scott, Singleton doctor Rebecca Mullen, Angus Craig, Darcy Bulman, mother and daughter Nadene and Kyah McBride, Kane Symons, Zach Bray and AFL Roosterettes captain Tori Cowburn died in the crash.

📷 Tributes at the crash site at the Wine Country roundabout on June 11, 2024. Picture by Simone de Peak

On Wednesday morning, Button was moved from his glass cage to the witness box to give evidence, his hands and voice shaking as he expressed his deep sorrow at the tragedy and his actions.

"I've tried to figure out the words to say 'I'm sorry', but how do you say you're sorry for such a horrible, tragic event that has ruined the lives of hundreds of people?" he said through tears.

"I live with this every day, and I hate myself."

He was questioned and cross-examined on whether he thought he knew better than his doctors about his Tramadol use, and why he was speeding and taking risks.

More to come.

• Support is available for those who may be distressed. Phone Lifeline 13 11 14; MensLine 1300 789 978; Kids Helpline 1800 551 800; beyondblue 1300 224 636; 1800-RESPECT 1800 737 732.

In short:

A magnitude-4.5 earthquake hit the New South Wales Hunter Region shortly before 6am on Saturday.

Geoscience Australia reported it happened at a depth of 5 kilometres.

It comes two weeks after similar events in the region.

In short:

Dozens of kangaroos now call Wyee Point Reserve home, turning it into an unofficial tourist attraction.

Tourists are shown on social media feeding them chips, cookies, and bread, but there are fears for people's safety.

What's next?

Lake Macquarie Council and NPWS both say the other group should be managing the situation.

In short:

Laura Davy was sentenced to three months in jail for her involvement in coal protests that blocked trains from reaching the Port of Newcastle.

She lodged an appeal and was granted bail.

What's next?

The appeal was upheld on the condition Davy does not re-offend.

In short:

Another magnitude-4.5 earthquake has hit the Hunter region on Saturday, a day after a similar event at the same location.

There were no injuries, with some residents in Sydney reporting they felt the quake.

The epicentres of both quakes are near BHP's Mount Arthur coal mine and the proposed site of a nuclear power plant.

Geoscience Australia is reporting magnitude of 5, with the epicentre near Muswellbrook: https://earthquakes.ga.gov.au/event/ga2024qpnryi

ORIGINAL ARTICLE, PUBLISHED 12:30pm

UPDATED ARTICLE, PUBLISHED 1:07pm

'The whole house shook': Earthquake rattles the ground west of Newcastle

📷 The red mark represents the earthquake epicentre, while the blue marks indicate where tremors were felt. Picture by Geoscience Australia

AN EARTHQUAKE has rocked the Hunter Region on Friday afternoon, leaving hundreds of residents shaken and thousands without power.

Reports flooded in of the quake being felt across the region - and as far and Tamworth, Mudgee and the Central Coast - at about midday on August 23.

Geoscience Australia confirmed a magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck Denman at 12.01pm on Friday, at a depth of 10 kilometres, causing widespread tremors.

Amanda Sharp lives two minutes from the centre of town, she said she heard the earthquake coming before she felt it.

"It actually sounded like a huge wind tunnel coming up, it sounded like massive wind but there was no wind, and then the whole entire house just started shaking," she said.

"We have things on the top of our kitchen and they all fell off, we had glasses on top of our kitchen shelf and they've fallen down."

Ms Sharp said the "significant" rattle was felt throughout the town and all the way to Muswellbrook through to Mudgee.

"I've still got horses that are galloping around my property that are still stirred up and quite agitated from it," she said.

"My dog is still underneath the bed, we can't get her out."

Ms Sharp moved to the area in 2020 and said she thinks there has been a small tremor in the area before but "nothing like this".

"We ran outside straight away to check what was happening," she said.

More than 2500 people are without power in the Muswellbrook area, according to Ausgrid.

"Severe weather conditions" has been listed as the cause of the outage, and crews were still working to restore power at about 1pm.

Muswellbrook's Eatons Hotel licensee, Khalifa Askar, said it was "a little bit scary there for a moment".

"It was shaking for about 10 to 15 seconds... a bunch of stuff fell off my fridge," Mr Askar said.

Layla Moss was working at Denman's Royal Hotel when she felt the tremor.

"It shook everything inside," she said.

"All our wine glasses are hanging up over the bar and they shook a lot, but there was no damage, nothing falling over."

Over at the Denman Hotel, Jack Buckley said the only causality was a runaway wine bottle.

"We did feel it, it was just a bit of shake and we had a few bottles rolling around on the shelf," he said.

One Hamilton resident reported feeling their whole house shake when the quake hit.

"It felt like there was something under the house," they said.

"I was very confused."

Residents said they felt the ground or buildings shake at locations as widespread as Newcastle West, Tenambit, Cardiff, Hamilton, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Salamander Bay, Edgeworth and at the Gresford showgrounds.

A resident in Salamander Bay reported their desk moving across the floor, while others in locations like Islington said they felt their doors and windows rattle.

People have swarmed to social media to share their experiences of feeling the earthquake.

On average, 100 earthquakes of magnitude three or more are recorded in Australia each year.

This story is developing

Our journalists are working to verify further information

NBN News has obtained CCTV of the moment a vehicle was rammed into a tobacconist on the Central Coast and set on fire.

( source: https://www.facebook.com/nbntelevision/videos/1062366965556278 )

I want you to watch closely, and tell me where you think they went wrong...

In short:

NSW Police have have finalised the brief in the case against 19-year-old Jordan Patten.

Mr Patten is accused of plotting to kill Newcastle Labor MP Tim Crakanthorp.

What's next?

The case will be mentioned in court again in October.