22 April 2025 8:39 am · Hunter News · Ian Crouch A Change.org petition’s being started to keep aged care service Gummun Place open near Merriwa after Upper Hunter Shire Council said a decision’s yet to be made on a private operator. Once permission has been received from a consultant, Council’s voted to release information on the process. But residents say its closure would mean leaving elderly people without crucial support at the only facility of its kind in town. They’re demanding an urgent intervention to save the Hostel from closure, and a comprehensive review of the Federal Government’s funding model for aged care. 2NUR FM acknowledges Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and community. We pay our respects to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, and to Elders both past and present. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Picture file/suppliedA PETITION to save Merriwa's only aged care facility has called on the federal government to "step up" All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords, Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThe future of Gummun Place is bleak with significant upgrades required at the site loss of money and difficulty in attracting and retaining "appropriately qualified" staff Upper Hunter Council Shire councillor and concerned community member posted the petition calling for a review of the federal government's funding model to save the site from imminent closure "They've been very tight with their funding around aged care facilities we need to look at a different model because we don't have the rate base that larger city councils have We're behind the eight ball all the time," he said With Singleton's Mercy Services nursing home closing Cr Stolz said Gummun Place was on the trajectory for the same outcome unless the government steps in with the cheque book and starts giving a bit of money to the bush." The Upper Hunter Shire Council has stated its financial position on the nursing home and cannot run the facility "Council has been very open and honest that they don't want to run the facility anymore," Cr Stolz said "It needs some money spent and upgrades to bring it up to code We are at a crossroads where council isn't in the position to make those upgrades," he said He said that while he understood Australia was in caretaker mode until the May 3 election he hoped either of the main parties would take an interest in the issue let's see if any government promises come to fruition that could keep Gummun open," he said Cr Stolz said the push to close the facility was a "slap in the face" to the elderly residents We've got residents that have worked their guts out and lived in the area their whole life," he said "They've paid their taxes and all they're looking for is a bit of peace and tranquillity and we're going to deny them that because of politics he said there could be hundreds of kilometres to their next potential destination They deserve to have some dignity and some certainty in their final years and some familiarity around their surroundings," he said The petition had already reached 500 signatures over the Easter long weekend Alanna is a journalist at the Newcastle Herald with a focus on education. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at alanna.tomazin@austcommunitymedia.com.au Newsletters & AlertsView allDaily Today's top stories curated by our news team Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters Don't miss your weekly Knights update Get the latest property and development news here tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert Your digital replica of Today's Paper Test your skills with interactive crosswords Merriwa residents are on a mission to keep a beloved aged care home in ratepayers’ hands The council-managed Gummun Place Hostel provides crucial services for older residents – but it could soon be sold due to costs Sign up to get daily news updates so you don't miss a thing An independent news site based in New England This is probably not the page you’re looking for Upper Hunter Shire Council has today announced recent radionuclide testing has confirmed Merriwa’s water remains safe to drink conducted by Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) showed the water had a radioactivity dose ranging between <0.2 and <0.34 mSv/year This range is well below the Australian national reference level of 1 mSv/year The results were received late last week and have since been reviewed and verified by Council “Following a meeting with key stakeholders yesterday Council is pleased to share this update to the community,” Council said in a statement “The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines (ADWG) screening value has been set to prioritise public health These results confirm that the Merriwa drinking water supply is below the screening value Upper Hunter Shire will continue to collaborate with the relevant agencies to ensure the safety of the community’s drinking water “Council will continue to monitor the drinking water in line with ADWG and NSW Health recommendations to verify the safety and quality of the water supply,” it said Information and Events for Local Councils throughout Australia Contact us: newsdesk@insidelocalgovernment.com.au Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time Police allege a violent robbery at a Merriwa tobacco shop that sparked a month-long police investigation was faked allegedly entered the Smokers Warehouse on Baltimore Parade and started looking at products before walking behind the counter and pulling out a screwdriver in front of worker Sophia Howard He allegedly pushed Howard and demanded she open the till before grabbing $900 and fleeing the store She then called triple-zero which resulted in heavy police response and triggered a month-long armed robbery investigation where police even released CCTV footage to the public But police now allege the whole incident was a charade They allege Howard and the man were in a relationship and planned a fake robbery police allege Howard tried to claim workers’ compensation which was being processed by her insurance company but no money was paid out Police arrested the pair on August 28 and charged both with creating false beliefs and several other drug and stealing offences Howard did not comment when approached by 9News Perth and asked about the alleged ruse When asked how long it took to plan the charade Howard said: “I’m not sure what you’re talking about.” The pair appeared at Joondalup magistrates court on October 11 police allege Howard tried to claim workers\\u2019 compensation Howard said: \\u201CI\\u2019m not sure what you\\u2019re talking about.\\u201D 5 March 2025 6:39 am · Hunter News · Ian Crouch There’s been a fatal single vehicle crash at Merriwa overnight. Just before 6pm yesterday (Tuesday 4 March), emergency services were called to Scone Road about five kilometres north of the town. Officers found an SUV had veered off the road and crashed into a deep culvert before rolling over and resting on its wheels. The driver, a 67-year-old woman, was assisted by a passing motorist and an officer who provided CPR. Despite help from paramedics she couldn’t be saved. A crime scene’s been established and investigations commenced. Anyone with information or dashcam footage is being asked to contact Crime Stoppers. Picture supplied.THE future is looking even more uncertain for a Hunter aged care facility which is said to be losing up to $1 million per year All articles from our website & appThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueThat's the figure contained in a confidential report about Gummun Place which Upper Hunter Shire Councillors met to consider just before Easter The council's director of environmental and community services said it would be irresponsible to keep running it It would take about six months to close down likely with some federal financial support to assist with closure Upper Hunter Shire mayor Maurice Collison said no decision had been made and parts of the confidential report would be shared with the community There were two presentations made to the council at the meeting on Thursday (April 17) he said some of which he hoped would also be made available to interested residents and ratepayers "Councillors are going to be making a decision based on what we've been told," Councillor Collison said "We're going to tell the community about that to explain what our decision will eventually be." mostly due to compliance issues and the difficulty in attracting and retaining appropriately qualified staff "The main issue is to keep up with compliance issues and the goal posts keep changing," Cr Collison said "We're struggling to keep up with compliance issues and we're struggling to get staff with the right training "The last thing any of us want is closure but we've really got to look at it as a business." In a media statement issued later the council said it would release further information to the community once permission is received from its consultants to share it "This meeting will allow the consultant to present their findings and respond to community questions," the statement said "Council will also seek to have representatives from the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care attend to discuss available options "Council will notify the community of the proposed community meeting date when details are confirmed." the meeting was likely to occur in mid to late May the council's general manager Greg McDonald said After resolving at the end of March to keep trying to find a solution the council went to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission with a report on their EOI process The commission reviewed the report and made a recommendation to the Department of Health and Aged Care that it should not fund a second EOI process experienced low demand and despite an extensive initial EOI process no suitable provider had been found to take it over While the department would consider an application for capital funding that alone would not address the service's ongoing financial viability was one of many members of the community who made a donation to Gummun Place he donated $60,000 to the newly-completed activity centre at the Gummun Place Hostel in Merriwa at the age of 80 Picture by Bronwyn Farr.If the service closed the department would provide funding and support to ensure continuity of care for the residents and the appointment of a business administrator to help the council manage "an orderly closure" but we don't have to rush into it," he said Upper Hunter residents have pushed back on council plans for an outside provider to lease, operate, or potentially buy the community-based aged care facility, Gummun Place Hostel, and fear its potential closure. The land with the 16-bed facility is built on was donated to the community, and members of the community raised money to help build it, including farmers who donated cattle at about $1000 per head to help fund the project. At the same time members of the community have acknowledged that the council lacks the expertise to run an aged care facility. One of the burning issues is what would happen to the proceeds of any sale of the land the facility sits on if the council does proceed with closure. Picture supplied.A man has been flown to Newcastle after being injured during a bull riding event at the Merriwa Rodeo on Friday night All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueEmergency services were called to Merriwa Showground around 7.30pm on Friday 21 March had suffered chest injuries and was treated at the scene by event medical crew and paramedics before being driven to Merriwa Hospital The Westpac Rescue Helicopter airlifted the man to Newcastle's John Hunter Hospital later that evening in a stable condition The man remained in a stable condition on Saturday morning Today's top stories curated by our news team. Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales. Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector. Industry news from Australia's dairy sector. The week's top stories curated by our news team. Coolie T234 with buyers Ben and Tim Fraser Picture by Georgia CameronThe sunshine was out in full force for the annual Coolie Angus on-property bull sale at Merriwa on August 23 All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueThere were plenty of buyers who were heated up and ready to raise their hand with confidence The demand around the sale ring brought about a 100pc clearance rate at auction All 50 bulls sold to a top of $16,000 to average $8900 by USA sire Basin Rainmaker 4404 and out of Wattletop J70 The top bull displayed good growth in the top five per cent of the breed for 200- cropping and cattle breeding operation across three properties: Milpa and Sheldons near Collie said they were looking for a bull with good mobility to suit their western country and Coolie T234 would be heading home to cover their Angus breeders He said calving ease was an important trait for them The Frasers target the heavy weight feeder market and grow their steers our to 400 kilograms plus They have been buying bulls from Coolie Angus for around 10 years and this year they purchased a total of three bulls to average $13,333 There were plenty of volume buyers including Point Pastoral bidding up to $10,000 for a Millah Murrah Paratrooper P15 son Point Pastoral manager Ben Grady said the draft of bulls he selected displayed good growth rates and calving ease He said they run 1100 Angus breeders and sell approximately 450 steers into the feeder market each year including three sons of Milwillah Pasadena paying up to $14,000 for a Rennylea L519 son in Coolie T125 also took home three bulls to average $6666 said they were extremely pleased to achieve a full clearance rate "We are very happy with our bulls this year we think there are some great value for money bulls here today and we're confident the buyers will be just as happy with their purchases when they get them home and out to work," he said Davidson Cameron and Co conducted the sale with guest auctioneer Paul Dooley AuctionsPlus provided the online interface Our twice weekly wrap of the latest in rural property sales Our twice weekly wrap of the big news in the red meat sector Industry news from Australia's dairy sector The week's top stories curated by our news team DETECTIVES from the rapid apprehension squad are seeking public assistance as they continue to investigate an armed robbery in Merriwa on Friday a man entered a tobacco retail shop located in a shopping centre on Baltimore Parade The man browsed the store for a short time before walking behind the counter and producing a screwdriver He threatened the staff member with the screwdriver and demanded she open the till The man fled the area on foot with a quantity of cash He was last seen running north from the shopping centre carpark The man is described as wearing a black hoody blue jeans and white runners with a black facemask Anyone who recognises the man pictured, or has any information in relation to this incident, is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or report online via www.crimestopperswa.com.au Website by Oz Group Media in a season of abundance across the district it also saw large numbers of junior judges keen to put their knowledge to the test All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxInteractive Crosswords Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueMerriwa Show conducts the group three finals of the AgShows NSW junior judging in four disciplines Merino sheep It also holds its own U15s Merriwa Show judging in those categories and also a separate beef cattle junior judging competition So it was a very busy first day at the show for the organisers when 80 young judges arrived ready to tackle the task ahead The students came from throughout the Hunter Valley and Central West with Kandos High School and Coolah Central School well represented in the group three finals placings Tamworth said it was one of the biggest competitions given the number of young judges vying for ribbons Longtime group three final organiser Maria Cameron wanted to thank a the over judges for their time and expertise in assisting the competitors "It was a big day but I know everyone appreciated our over judges' fabulous commitment to the event," she said In the group three finals winners are automatically eligible to compete in the state finals to be held next year at the Sydney Royal Show grains and meat breed sheep second placegetters are also eligible to compete in Sydney From cattle to coal. Once a specialist agriculture writer today its about community, in particular, the Upper Hunter. I have lived and worked in the region for more than 30 years. Land use issues and the future direction of our region. But you cannot take ag out of the picture - our food and how we grow it is the basis of all life. Covering the Hunter and Mid North Coast rural issues is now part of my role with ACM. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy Strong support from local buyers has pushed the clearance up at this year's Tivoli Angus bull and female sale held on Thursday at Springfield All articles from our website & appThe digital version of This Week's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other agricultural news sites in your areaContinueVendors Hugh and Annie Kraefft sold 48 of 54 bulls to a $16,000 top and $8674 average The number of bulls sold was up 14pc on last year Online buyers Peter Ryan and his son Daniel from Ryan Brothers placed the top bid of $16,000 for Tivoli Iceman T94 after Daniel inspected the sire prospect during the stud's open day The 25-month-old was selected as he was a son of the $225,000 Texas Iceman R725 Out of the Rennylea Picasso P64 daughter in Tivoli Usual R155 he weighed 776 kilograms with a 43 centimetre scrotal circumference He ranked in the top one per cent of the breed for leg angle and top 15pc for eye muscle area and carcase weight and keep the very best of our heifers," Peter Ryan said we will take the bull out that is currently with our autumn calvers and put him into them you have to join him to 50 cows twice a year Sticking him in with autumn calvers also means this time next year we will know what the calves are like and see whether the Tivoli blood clicks with our cow herd." The Ryan family are first-time buyers and target the feedlot market "The steer portion are sent to our Lowther property where they are grown out to heavy feeders we push them out to get as much money as we can for them," Mr Ryan said "We usually are selecting for average birthweight positive fats as I feel it is easier to breed fat on them rather than put it on them We don't get wrapped up in IMF (intramuscular fat) as we don't get paid for it." Two bulls sold for the equal second-top price of $14,000 purchased by the NSW Department of Primary Industries The largest volume buyers were locals operating online who selected six new bulls and paid a top of $8000 to average $6333 were chasing mobility and bought four bulls for a top of $12,000 "Animals capable of walking and climbing hills - mobility." The Forrests run around 1400 Angus and Herefords breeders at Trevallyn while their Manilla block is used to house weaners that are either grown out to feedlot weights or fattened depending on the season and market The $1600 per head top-priced pen of unjoined heifers with purchasers Deanne Knox and Col Quinn (right) of Millfield with 30 selling to a top of $1600 a head to average $1500/hd The top pen of 10 averaged 326kg and were purchased by Colin Quinn and Deanne Knox of Millfield Making the change from Speckle Park to Angus and chasing better quality and bloodlines they were advised by Elders Scone agent Matt Savins easy-doing types with good fleshing and weight for age," Mr Savins said Tivoli stud principal Hugh Kraeftt said it was a pleasing sale with Iceman and Prime Minister progeny selling well and there are a lot of prospects going forward," he said The sale was conducted by Elders Scone and Gunnedah with guest auctioneer Paul Dooley CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced MANY people have been asked me who I recommend voting for Do you enjoy debt spiraling out of control has written to the Federal Minister for Health and Aged Care requesting immediate and ongoing assistance to prevent further closures and financial losses in rural aged care Mayor Collison highlights the unsustainable position of small councils tasked with operating aged care facilities a 16-bed facility which serves an average of 14 residents The Mayor says the Council is currently absorbing an annual loss exceeding $400,000 to keep Gummun Place operational – “an expense that far surpasses the entire annual rate income from Merriwa “We simply cannot continue to subsidise this facility at such a high cost while still providing essential services like libraries and sports facilities that our community relies on for health and wellbeing,” said Mayor Collison “The Federal Government has been lax in its support for councils running aged care services Gummun Place and similar facilities face an uncertain future.” The letter points to the closure of aged care facilities in neighbouring regions as further evidence of the crisis and calls for the Federal Government to address this gap by offering sustainable funding and support “It shouldn’t take a city postcode to get basic aged care But here we are – Labor seems to think the regions are out of sight “People in the New England deserve the same care as those in Sydney and it’s time the Federal Government realised that we’ll keep seeing rural facilities shut down and families left high and dry,” he said Upper Hunter Shire Council intends to issue expressions of interest to lease or potentially purchase Gummun Place Hostel to help secure its long-term viability without a shift in Federal support for regional aged care facilities the future of these essential services in rural communities remains at risk A copy of the Mayor’s letter can be viewed here All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueTransport for NSW will carry out the work as part of ongoing maintenance to ensure the structure remains safe and fit for purpose will be carried out from 7am to 5pm and is expected to be complete by Wednesday One traffic lane will be closed with traffic control and a reduced 40km/h speed limit in place during work hours for the safety of workers and motorists Loads of more than 3.5 metres width will be stopped temporarily by traffic control to allow cones or work vehicles to be moved for safe passage Advance warning signage and UHF contact details will be in place to help operators of oversize and/or overmass vehicles Motorists are advised to drive to conditions and follow the directions of signs and traffic control Transport for NSW thanks motorists for their patience during this time We care about the protection of your data. Read our Privacy Policy. but we don't want to lose you.\"}],[\"$\",\"div\",null,{\"className\":\"notfound-page__text-block\",\"children\":\"We recently updated the way we organise our articles 'div-gpt-ad-1511396693346-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n googletag.defineSlot('/34178149/728x90_Leaderboard_Position_1' 'div-gpt-ad-1511394032333-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n googletag.defineSlot('/34178149/970x90_bottom_leaderboard' 'div-gpt-ad-1511396722471-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n googletag.defineSlot('/34178149/728x90_Hompage_Leaderboard_Position_1' 'div-gpt-ad-1661741627089-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n googletag.defineSlot('/34178149/undefinedTUD_Homepage_Internal_728x90' 'div-gpt-ad-1534480172990-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n // home leaderboard (mobile)\n googletag.defineSlot('/34178149/970x90_top_leaderboard' 'div-gpt-ad-1511397345189-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n googletag.defineSlot('/34178149/728x90_Leaderboard_Position_1' 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mixed-use building of 27 apartments and three commercial tenancies with an estimated development cost of $32.8 million.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt will replace a large part-six constructed in the early 1970s.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to CoreLogic’s RP Data the Merriwa Street site was sold in 2014 for $11.2 million from the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust to Fuye Development Pty Ltd.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to ASIC documents Fuye is associated with Chinese nationals Wei Dong Chen and Kwok Hung Chen and wholly owned by Chan’s International Developments Pty Ltd.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiles Tribe Architects have designed the project \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe new building will sit on a single allotment 400m from Gordon town centre and the suburb’s rail station.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt will offer 27 residential apartments leaning towards larger typologies and 13 three-bedroom and another 13 four-bedroom apartments.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRetail and commercial tenancies on the lower floors will face the Fitzsimons Lane frontage on level three of the sloping site and there will be a rooftop communal open area also.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGiven the need for housing across the nation the Ku-ring-gai area has been identified by the NSW Government as a priority area.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEight stations in the LGA Lendlease’s third residential building in the Collins Wharf precinct of Victoria Harbour.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 28-storey building at 971 Collins Street in Melbourne’s Docklands will deliver 312 homes in a mix of one two and three-bedroom apartments as well as townhouses and penthouses.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to Lendlease the project has already secured more than 50 per cent in presales.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHickory is the construction contractor—it completed the precinct’s first development in 2019 and is also working on LendLease’s second tower Regatta.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor Ancora Hickory is implementing several technical construction methods including various piling techniques and precast concrete solutions that enable a parallel-track construction program.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe building’s facade designed by architect Warren and Mahoney uses a three-stage design incorporating double-glazed glass and textured precast concrete with Reckli and brick finishes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe structural design transitions from a solid podium base to lighter upper levels “reflecting a maritime theme” aligned with the Collins Wharf design objectives.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAncora will connect to the neighbouring Regatta development via a podium allowing resident access to shared amenities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesigned as an all-electric building that includes electric vehicle infrastructure the development is targeting a 5 Star Green Star certification Completion is expected in 2027.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegatta including build-to-rent and build-to-sell units.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eExtensive wharf works including remediation of pre-existing wharf piles installation of raker piles and construction of the extension to Australia Walk are also part of the project.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTechnical challenges include constructing on the finger wharf and co-ordinating extensive above-wharf road reserve and public parkland works.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Collins Wharf precinct will ultimately comprise six residential buildings of more than 1800 homes surrounded by over 5000sq m of parks and community space.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLendlease is developing the parkland concurrently with the residential components including the extension of Australian Walk that forms part of the City of Melbourne’s Greenline project.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLendlease executive director of development Adam Williams said Collins Wharf “is fast becoming a sought-after address .. which took just a handful of hours to emerge on Saturday night the Coalition’s failure to sway voters has come under intense scrutiny.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIts lack of policies around property that resonated with voters has been a large part of that criticism.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmong those policies was a $5-billion infrastructure program to unlock up to 500,000 new homes was greeted with no small amount of scepticism.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Coalition also campaigned on its previously revealed plan to allow first home buyers to draw down on their superannuation giving access to up to $50,000 to help fund mortgage deposits.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile that proposal had won some support it got the thumbs down from many of Australia’s top economists who said the measure could prove highly inflationary among other issues.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilarly its plan to allow mortgage interest for first home buyers to be tax-deductible was roundly criticised for its likely inflationary and regressive effects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt has also been pointed out that the Coalition’s rejection of the Green’s policies around housing supply affordable housing and help for renters did it no favours.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe ALP went to the polls spruiking an extension of schemes introduced during its previous term including a $10-billion promise for its first-home buyers’ scheme to encourage 100,000 more homes.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt also had its Help to Buy shared equity scheme under which the Government pays up to 40 per cent of the house price to point to.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf it was these policies per se or the lack of detail and depth to the Coalition’s the nation's ready for the Albanese government to act.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat is clear been endorsed to follow through on its policies and fix the crisis that is crippling the Australian property sector.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Urban Taskforce Australia chief executive\u0026nbsp;Tom\u0026nbsp;Forrest has pointed out it is time for the Federal Government to get back to work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Housing affordability and housing supply featured large during the campaign,” Forrest said.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“The key now is for the Government to strike while the iron’s hot.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“If legislation is needed to support the delivery of Labor’s $10-billion 100,000 new homes commitment—then pass it through the parliament now and get on with it.”\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe states have made many changes to how they enable home development The Federal Government’s support of that is crucial to its success material supply assistance or any other factor that affects getting homes out of the ground.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis has been a pivotal election Then Cities for Total Fan Immersion\",\"slug\":\"billionaire-arsenal-rams-denver-nuggets-sports-anchored-precincts\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-04-30T00:00+10:00\",\"tags\":[],\"summary\":\"Why your next home might be stadium-adjacent; sports are the hook The development application to the Ku-ring-gai Council proposes the demolition of the existing 1970s office building at 7-9 Merriwa Street The application details the construction of a mixed-use building of 27 apartments and three commercial tenancies with an estimated development cost of $32.8 million the Merriwa Street site was sold in 2014 for $11.2 million from the Uniting Church in Australia Property Trust to Fuye Development Pty Ltd and wholly owned by Chan’s International Developments Pty Ltd Giles Tribe Architects have designed the project The new building will sit on a single allotment 400m from Gordon town centre and the suburb’s rail station It will offer 27 residential apartments leaning towards larger typologies and 13 three-bedroom and another 13 four-bedroom apartments Retail and commercial tenancies on the lower floors will face the Fitzsimons Lane frontage on level three of the sloping site and there will be a rooftop communal open area also Given the need for housing across the nation the Ku-ring-gai area has been identified by the NSW Government as a priority area Eight stations in the LGA, including Gordon, Killara, Rosefield and Lindfield, have been identified in the State Government’s Transport Oriented Development (TOD) planning reforms as areas to encourage higher density residential projects. Picture suppliedMerriwa will be a hive of activity from Friday with the Festival of the Fleeces opening night at Merriwa RSL before Saturday's running of the sheep the sheep dog competition and a host of other events across the town Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueOn Saturday at 12PM Saturday the grand parade makes its way along Bettington Street This year's theme is "Golden Years Golden Shears" with the rundown of the weekend's action at: https://festivalofthefleeces.com.au/events-exhibitions Due to this weekend's event motorists are advised of changed traffic conditions on the Golden Highway at Merriwa For the safety of event participants and motorists the Golden Highway will be closed between Dutton and Marquet streets from 4am to 6pm on Saturday 8 June 2024 Motorists travelling through Merriwa during this time should allow extra travel time and expect delays For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW app, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701 Sudoku and TriviaAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueJust before 6pm Tuesday March 4 emergency services were called to Scone Road When Hunter Valley police arrived on scene they found an SUV had left the roadway and "crashed into a deep culvert before rolling and coming to rest on its wheels" The driver, a 67-year-old woman, was assisted by a passing motorist at the scene. A police officer also performed CPR prior to the arrival of NSW Ambulance crews however despite the best efforts of everyone at the crash site A crime scene was established and investigations have commenced into the circumstances surrounding the crash As inquiries continue anyone with information dashcam and/or mobile phone footage in relation to the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 Today's top stories curated by our news team. Also includes evening update. Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. Love footy? We've got all the action covered. The latest news, results & expert analysis. Follow the Newcastle Knights in the NRL? Don't miss your weekly Knights update. Get the latest property and development news here. 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All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinuePolice said shots were fired at five homes in the early hours of Monday morning in Boggabilla No one was injured in the shootings which unfolded about 3.30am New England police suspect the shootings were a "targeted attack" and several police remained at the scene yesterday Yeoman Street and Racecourse Road and were under police guard on Monday as forensic investigations continued Merriwa Central School is at breaking point – struggling to attract and retain enough teachers It’s meant various subjects have had to be scrapped – now the school’s committee says it’s time the government takes immediate action THE Merriwa-Willow Tree Road failure that started as a series of dangerous tension cracks The original $9.6 million Merriwa-Willow Tree Road upgrades were meant to bring it up to B-Double standard, however the road washed away in January 2020, after upgrades were not built to specification and failed to include adequate stormwater and rain catchment infrastructure The Upper Hunter Shire Council first confirmed the road failure in June 2020 saying it would require at least three years of rectification works The road was then officially closed on January 21 and geotechnical engineers have since been scrambling to find ways to rectify the failure which is expected to cost up to $15 million Major rectification works will be required in four separate areas stretching across 1,800 metres of road with Council to approve Phase 1 of the works next Monday at the July ordinary meeting David Layzell visited the failure site yesterday accompanied by Upper Hunter Shire Mayor Maurice Collison and general manager Greg McDonald Mr Layzell reported the Merriwa-Willow Tree Road has now failed to the point where it is “completely impassable.” Upper Hunter Shire general manager Greg McDonald Upper Hunter MP David Layzell and Upper Hunter Shire Mayor Maurice Collison standing on the failed Merriwa-Willow Tree Road “A single lane road being left open has been raised with my office numerous times so I was committed to visiting the site to get an update Nonetheless it is obvious that with this degree of landslide it is certainly not safe or feasible to have any traffic on it safely,” Mr Layzell said “The recent rains have exacerbated the issue and the original design did not sufficiently allow for high rainfall and stormwater management along the route,” he said “It is obvious from the current state of the road that the Upper Hunter Shire Council took the correct decision to completely close the road for safety reasons,” he said “The meeting today was a pre-start inspection before the Phase 1 works commence to remove the failed material from the road which will allow further geotechnical work to take place which will further inform the design process,” said Mr Layzell The current state of the Merriwa-Willow Tree Road failure Phase 1 works include cutting a drainage line along the road and removing the failed material to allow further geotechnical design to be undertaken These works are expected to take approximately three months and cost $1.5 million Tendering for the rehabilitation works (Phase 2) will commence in October and will be awarded to a civil contractor by the end of the year Four civil contractors have already been engaged on a “pre-tender” basis to provide early advice on the best option in terms of build ability and each will be given the opportunity to tender after the final geotechnical design is complete Phase 2 rehabilitation works are expected to begin in January 2022 and take 18 months to complete depending on weather conditions and additional geotechnical advice.  The total cost of rehabilitation works will remain unknown until geotechnical designs are completed, however Upper Hunter Shire Council will be using a pre-approved $5 million loan and the State and Federal Government has committed to look into ways to assist with the project once the full extent of the rebuild cost is known In April, Upper Hunter Shire general manager Greg McDonald revealed the rehabilitation works may cost up to $15 million $5.4 million more than the original project budget Phase 2 works will commence once the design has been completed and the works have been tendered and contracted Tags: , , , THE Merriwa district Australia Day ceremony was attended by a large crowd albeit with hand-sanitiser and donning masks The event was held at the Merriwa Sports club with Ambassador Gina Jeffreys who gave the crowd an impromptu performance on a borrowed guitar the dedicated chair of the Australia Day committee for more than thirty years Citizen of the Year Pat Kirby with Ambassador Gina Jeffreys Pat Kirby was awarded Citizen of the Year and was visibly stunned when the announcement was made Pat has been a director of nursing at the Merriwa Hospital before training and being ordained as a priest in 2011 Pat continues to provide voluntary services to the whole community through many different local events and organisations I can’t believe it’s happening and I do thank the Merriwa community,” Patricia Kirby said Harrison Amidy was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year works in the local IGA and has a passion for working with youth through Where There’s a Will Young Citizen of the Year Harrison Amidy addressing the crowd with Ambassador Gina Jeffreys “I think this is a representation of how my family has brought me up and just the community in general it just shows that when you have a good community and good culture you can have good people,” Harrison Amidy said “I really want to do a lot to help bring suicide awareness and help out my school because I think it is very important for young people there is a lot of mental health problems and we really need to address that,” Harrison said It was country singer Gina Jeffreys first time as an Australia Day Ambassador after taking time out of the spotlight in recent years to concentrate on her family “I think it is a celebration of what a great nation we are how much we have grown and I think that this year of all years having gone through fires and COVID it has been a really really tough and we have just shown who we really are strong and kind country,” Gina Jeffreys said Gina started recording again recently and released a new album and is touring with husband and fellow musician Rod McCormack last year Award recipients for 2021 in Merriwa District were: Nominees for awards in Merriwa included: Colin Bates Tags: , including bikes painted by the Merriwa Men's Shed and Merriwa Rotary Club Picture: My MerriwaMembers of the Merriwa community have been painting the town red white and blue ahead of the third edition of the Tour de Merriwa cycling event on Sunday All articles from our websiteThe digital version of Today's PaperBreaking news alerts direct to your inboxAll articles from the other regional websites in your areaContinueDonated bikes have been positioned across town painted in the colours of the French flag by members of the Merriwa Men's Shed and the Merriwa Rotary Club with assistance from event sponsor Wattyl Entrance fees from the event support the Merriwa Volunteer Rescue Association and Merriwa Rural Fire Service organisations who will be assisting with traffic control during Sunday's ride The ride offers varying distances between 20km and 100km and is billed as a "great day out that celebrates community" according to one of the event's organisers "The first Edition of Le Tour de Merriwa was planned during the great drought when almost every other event was being cancelled," he said "Two years of COVID have made events like ours even more important." Journalist covering the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales for the Muswellbrook Chronicle, Singleton Argus, Scone Advocate, Hunter Valley News and occasionally the Newcastle Herald. HENRY ‘The Champion’ Killen is the sort of person everyone should have in their life.  If you need to move a trampoline or even a whole house He’s now running the family farm ‘Papanui,’ but he’s a boiler maker by trade and the handiwork he displays with firepits troughs and trailers is admired by many.  Henry “The Champion” Killen and fiancée Emma Henry’s also on the committee for Merriwa Race Club and is Deputy Captain of Gummun Rural Fire Service.  his greatest achievement is yet to come because he’s due to marry fiancée and Merriwa Central teacher Henry “The Champion” Killen at his happiest with a beer with a fire in a paddock.    Henry and nine other Merriwa Wellbeing Superspreaders have been specially handpicked by the Where There’s A Will (WTAW) foundation to help spread positive wellbeing throughout Merriwa The superspreader team will be trained by a certified wellbeing coach for three months before unleashing their new positive wellbeing skills on the Merriwa community Wellbeing Superspreaders will also recruit friends and family to join them for training in Mental Health First Aid so they know the signs and symptoms of mental ill health and how to help those in need Head to @merriwawellbeingsuperspreaders on Instagram or the Merriwa Wellbeing Superspreaders Facebook page to catch up on the latest superspreader activity Tags: , , , , , Landholders have stormed a community consultation session this morning regarding a proposed electricity superhighway from Merriwa to Dunedoo Farmers say Transgrid aren’t interested in listening to their concerns BIG plans are install for the newly upgraded Merriwa Railway Station which will celebrate its grand re-opening on Saturday landscaping and building restorations now complete plans to reinvigorate a passenger train service are now well underway The locomotive service would be the first to return to Merriwa since 1988 and would connect residents and tourists to Westwood Road in Gungal Merriwa Railway Society Incorporated President said Merriwa will definitely have rolling stock on site within the next two years “We have a member who owns rolling stock but we’ll take it one hurdle at a time,” Mr Garland said “We’ve just crossed the biggest hurdle with the upgrades and the next step would be to get some money to have the carriages shipped which is about $10,000 per wagon,” he said “I’m also trying to get a locomotive for the society out of the State Government which is currently in storage in Newcastle,” he said “We’ve got three drivers who are members and they are all main line drivers a lot of excursion groups and people travelling through that want to come to the Merriwa area will be able to use the line but we’re still in the infancy stage,” said Mr Garland The next step will be to make the line between Merriwa and Gungal safe and secure with carriage services expected to operate by appointment on Sundays public holidays and during school holidays.  it’s open it’s just what they call ‘booked out.’ It’s not in service but it’s definitely still an open rail corridor,”  Mr Garland said “Merriwa has that much going for it when it comes to using that line Half the other rail societies in New South Wales haven’t got a quarter of the track that we’ve got available,” he said “I’ve had the Office of Rail Safety up to check over the place they’ve steered us in the right direction of what to do and what’s got to be brought up because it hasn’t had a train run on it since 1988,” he said “There’s a fair bit of work still to be done there’s only a little bit of track that needs replacing and a lot of sleepers but it’s sound,” said Mr Garland the Merriwa Railway Station is open for visitation by appointment with the railways society open to other future uses “A few more people are starting to get interested in it now that the upgrades are done but at the moment it’s just being used as a museum,” Mr Garland said “I’ve had a few people come in to have their wedding photos taken and different things like that so any school groups or community groups that want to go through it can ring us and we can come and unlock it,” he said The Merriwa Railway Society Inc is inviting anyone to join them in celebrating the long-awaited upgrades next Saturday Check out the how the upgrades progressed in this Facebook video created by the Merriwa Railway Society Inc Tags: , , MERRIWA residents are calling out Council for not properly executing the Willow Tree Road works after part of the road washed away in January this year The road upgrade which was supposed to include an added lane to support B-double trucks as part of a $9.6million government-funded project has since been barricaded and limited to a 5 tonne load Scone.com.au spoke with Merriwa locals that use the Willow Tree Road on a regular basis who said they saw the road being mismanaged throughout the duration of the roadworks “It was common knowledge around town of how much of a joke this was all the plans they were saying weren’t going to work even the council fellas were saying they weren’t going to work,” said Richard Wilkinson “They said they spent more time waiting up here for instructions because they had no plans because they took them all away because they were disagreeing with them,” he said Residents Liam Whalen and Richard Wilkinson inspecting the extensive road damage “If they did disagree with them the boys got pulled off the job and were sent elsewhere in the Shire and they put other people up here on the works,” he said Locals explained they did not believe the contractors assigned to the works were at fault and that the issues were due to poor work management “A couple of the grader operators were following the plans and they were saying we need more gravel we need more for compaction and in the end they were told ‘Nah we don’t need any of that we’re wasting too much time and money just tip it over and it’ll be right,'” said Richard Wilkinson “It wasn’t the workman they were doing a great job it was just inappropriate management on the part of the hierarchy that stopped them from doing things the way they really felt it needed to be done,” said Lois Wilkinson “This is about the mismanagement of a $9.6million grant given to this Council to build this road and checks and balances were just not there,” said David Alker you do this much and check it’s up to spec and then you go the next step…there has to be checks and balances on a big project along the way so that these sort of failures don’t crop up at the end,” he said Residents said they could clearly identify the issues with the road and knew it would not be up to specification before works were completed all the engineers have papers but they’ve had no practical experience and that’s exactly what’s happened here because when you get up this steep you’re always going to have soil running down the hill after rain,” said Colin Bates “It comes out of the bank and over the side and they’ve put a road over the top of it so it was always going to run down the hill after rain it was always going to slump,” he said “And the rush to finish it…it should have never been sealed it should have just been built and graded for years let it rain and let it settle,” he said “It’s not rocket science you just need some smart people who can design a road and the worst engineer in the world knows that you do not put a road on what was essentially loose-fill,” added David Alker “In a B-double when they first had it finished you’d nearly be rubbing your bull bar on the barriers on one side and your back trailer would still be cutting a meter and a half on the other side of the road,” said Richard Wilkinson After the new road fell away earlier this year creating a lengthy detour for B-double vehicles with instructions to travel via Scone Barriers put in places forcing B-Double drivers to detour through Scone Detouring has caused a rise in local freight prices meaning residents are currently having to fork out more money to transport their goods and services in and out of town “There’s millions of dollar’s worth of livestock in the Merriwa valley and now there’s extra freight and none of those processes were ever considered during Council’s decision making regarding the cost-benefit of this project,” said David Alker “We sent cattle to Armidale and we had 4 B-double loads of cows that went and they had to come home via Scone,” he said “We used a different freight contractor to bring them home who was slightly less expensive but its 60km extra at $5.50 per km so it was an extra $1,300 I had to pay just to get those cows home,” he said Residents said they are not confident in the Council’s ability to rectify the issues and are now calling for the road to be reopened in order to ease their financial burden one lane,” said Linden Wilkinson.  “There’s no reason why those barriers couldn’t be shifted tomorrow,” said Wally Martin “Get rid of this road closed thing so at least we can use the road because it could be a year until they get a machine up here to fix it and by the time all this who-ha goes through ill be an old man,” said David Alker I don’t think Council should even have the option of doing the works for the repair,” said Richard Wilkinson “My concern is that if they’re applying for funding to fix the Scone to Meriwa road how can they get a grant for that when they can’t handle the grant money the got for here,” said Lois Wilkinson Related Stories: Willow Tree Road: Uninsured and Another Loan Merriwa residents from Left to Right: Wally Martin Tags: , , More than $10 million is expected for the large-scale Merriwa Pastoral Company cropping portfolio in Victoria’s Mallee region at a time of strong seasonal conditions and commodity prices Spanning just over 1,484 hectares west of Kerang the cropping enterprise has an approximate arable area of 1,436 hectares and consists of three properties Estate (420 hectares) and Ryans (over 691 hectares) Colliers’ Duncan McCulloch and James Beer have been appointed to sell portfolio at 230 Baulch Road in Normanville by expression of interest They will be acting on behalf of the Hunt family Bronwyn Hunt took on the property in 1977 from parents Des and Margery Fenton who established Merriwa Pastoral Company in 1965 One of the farms that comprised the amalgamation was a soldier settler block McCulloch said dryland cropping properties in Victoria are highly sought after in the current climate “Strong seasonal conditions and commodity prices combined with a favourable interest rate environment are driving demand for agricultural assets across the board with a particular focus on cropping and grazing properties Record crops and commodity prices propelled prime Australian farmland returns to more than 13% over 2021 according to ANREV’s Australian Farmland Index “The scale of the portfolio will be attractive to both family farming groups and corporate investors and the flexibility in being able to offer the properties within the portfolio for sale individually will further drive interest.” The properties feature highly productive soil types and favourable topography and receive an average annual rainfall of 357 millimetres Improvements include a four-bedroom main residence stock water access to each paddock and a laneway system Sign up for updates from Australian Rural & Regional News Manage your subscription We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info For all the news from Australian Property Journal, go to https://www.australianpropertyjournal.com.au/ Merriwa Race Club is a hidden gem in the western extremity of the Upper Hunter Shire In a day and age where businesses and events of all types utilise the multitude of social media platforms Merriwa doesn’t need to as they prepare for what will be a big day of country racing on April 22.  Apart from their website and some good local advertising the club generally calls on racegoers from all over the region for what is a ‘real country race day’.  and we keep it simple,” said Merriwa Race Club CEO Sue Bayliss ahead of the Wideland Group Merriwa Cup race day.  hard-working committee and some good young fellas coming through and they aren’t all necessarily racing people the club has been able to complete projects Merriwa is undoubtedly one of the more unique tracks on the NSW country circuit with patrons watching races from inside the racecourse.   and it’s a unique track that is a little bit like old Wallabadah racecourse,” Bayliss said.  “We are one of the few tracks that can lay claim to having the horses race entirely around us as the buildings are in the centre of the track and you’ve got to be pretty fit because the home straight is a decent bit of work uphill to the winning post and we provide good distances that suit a lot of different horses and I think we are pretty fortunate to have the good program we do.” Many racegoers venturing to Merriwa for the first time need clarification thinking the NSW bush club races the Victorian way of going.  “It’s the apparition; people that have never been to Merriwa they will ask why we race the Victoria way of going because when you are watching the races and it makes it look like they are going anti-clockwise The racing at Merriwa is consistently strong with the club boosting their prizemoney pools meaning they often attract gallopers from all over the Hunter “It’s a carrot we can dangle in front of the trainers but we’re only able to finance it through the help of Racing NSW and generous sponsorship,” Bayliss said.  “We’re able to provide well above the minimum prizemoney and that’s all due to the many things we engage in and with our group of outstanding sponsors that come on board each year “I’ve got three or four fellas on the committee that are racing people and they do a bit of breeding and own their own horses and they are always keen to kick up the prizemoney as they know it’s good for the participants and it turns out to be a good incentive for country trainers and some of the provincial trainers even come up and they look to take advantage of the half-decent prizemoney.” those who do find their way to the meeting experience a more traditional race day with fashions on the field and a Merriwa Cup calcutta the main off-track attractions “We don’t have live music and entertainment and we don’t need it because it is a comfortable country meeting about the racing and families,” Bayliss said.  “Our betting ring and bar are easily accessible and our fashions on the field will be on after the second race as we have an open invitation for fashions and an under 18s section “We also have local and metropolitan bookmakers that cover the city meetings and we do a cup calcutta on the day; the cup is race four and it usually builds up a decent pool.”On the day with kids 16 and under getting in for free and there will be a courtesy bus to and from town MERRIWA showed their ANZAC spirit as the community turned out to pay tribute to those fallen the survivors and and those currently serving in the military of Australia and New Zealand said he was pleased with the attendance at the dawn service and the involvement of the community Master of Cermonies Brian Booth addresses the crowd at the 2019 Merriwa ANZAC ceremony “We had a good turnout for the dawn service “We have a lot of community organisations in the town who all like to participate in the ANZAC service it is a privilege to be able to conduct these services,” he said Local Merriwa Central School student Nicholas Thorburn was the guest speaker for the ceremony and paid respect to those in our armed services and reiterated what ANZAC Day means to Australians “ANZAC day is not just a public holiday and a date on the calendar but rather a spirit and a day to remember the brave efforts of the ANZAC’s; on this day we reflect on the hardships of the men and women who fought through the wars during the past resourcefulness and friendship,” he said Guest speaker Nicholas Thorbun from Merriwa Central School “ANZAC numbers may grow smaller over the years but the one thing that will never leave is the ANZAC spirit which was ingrained in us from the battlefields over a hunderd years ago we thank all veterans that served our country lest we forget,” Nicholas Thorburn said Wreaths were laid at the Cenotaph by Merriwa RSL Club Merriwa Sports Club and several private wreaths.