Latest news with #HunterRegion

ABC News
6 days ago
- Business
- ABC News
Jeff McCloy, former Newcastle lord mayor and businessman, dies age 75
Former Newcastle lord mayor Jeff McCloy has died aged 75, following a battle with motor neurone disease (MND). Mr McCloy has been remembered as a prominent business leader and icon of the Hunter's development and construction industries. The well-known businessman and philanthropist ran a large development company in the region for several decades and served as Newcastle lord mayor between 2012 and 2014. He was diagnosed with motor neurone disease about 12 months ago and on Friday ended his life with voluntary assisted dying. Chair of the McCloy Group Paul Broad said Mr McCloy had died on his own terms. "He looked up and winked and drifted off. He was always looking death in the eye and didn't blink," Mr Broad said. "He just kept that really strong exterior. I know in his heart he was broken. Mr Broad said Mr McCloy had still been "sharp as a tack" and was handing out instructions an hour before he died. "[He was] still designing entry statements to his latest subdivision, still talking about making sure we maintain the communities, we attract more first home buyers. "[He was] still talking about Hunter Street, still going on about the council and all the things that get under his skin. Current Newcastle Lord Mayor Ross Kerridge said Mr McCloy made a significant contribution to the city's growth and infrastructure. "I think one of his great achievements … was bringing in the John Hunter Hospital initial build well ahead of schedule. "At the time when the city really needed that work done, he was the one that delivered it." During his time as mayor, Mr McCloy campaigned for the removal of the heavy rail line through the city centre and Newcastle's urban renewal. Mr McCloy resigned from his role as mayor in 2014 in the wake of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's inquiry into banned developer donations. He admitted to making banned donations to several Liberal candidates in the region ahead of the 2011 New South Wales election. Mr Broad said Mr McCloy was disappointed he had to step down. But he said that time did not define him. "He loved his time as lord mayor, and he certainly had unfinished business." Mr McCloy grew up in Belmont and gained a degree in civil engineering from Newcastle University. In the late 1970s he joined the Belmont-based construction company founded by his father, Don, before taking over the reins in the mid-80s. As the chairman of the McCloy Group, he oversaw significant residential, commercial and retirement living projects across Newcastle and the Hunter region. Known for his philanthropy, Mr McCloy supported a range of charitable organisations and supported local artists and sports teams.

ABC News
6 days ago
- ABC News
Three men to front court after NSW Police foil alleged plot to import $485 million of cocaine
Three men have been charged over an alleged plot to smuggle more than a tonne of cocaine into New South Wales worth close to half a billion dollars. Police said the trio arrested on Thursday each stood to earn $3.4 million over their alleged roles in conspiring to import 1.5 tonnes of the drug into the state. The men, police alleged, conspired to act as a "catching crew" for shipments of drugs dumped offshore by a bigger cargo vessel. Police said the men from the Hunter region — aged 23, 24 and 34 — were originally on their radar for "behaving suspiciously" by using cash to buy two fishing boats. One of those boats, called Seas the Day, is now in possession of police who seized it from Lemon Tree Passage on Thursday. The Organised Crime Squad has spent years investigating drug shipments off the NSW east coast, which has become a popular route for crime gangs bringing cocaine into Sydney. According to recent calculations by the Australian Federal Police in an unrelated seizure, the haul of drugs had an estimated street value of $485 million. Dramatic vision released by police showed the moment officers in tactical gear cornered the car of one of the men on a suburban street in Eleebana, Lake Macquarie. In it, a number of officers and the dog squad can be seen pulling the 34-year-old man from a car before bringing him to the ground and handcuffing him about 5am on Thursday. That same day the 23-year-old was arrested at a worksite in Forster and the 24-year-old was arrested in Salamander Bay. All three have been charged with conspiracy to supply a commercial quantity of cocaine, which carries a maximum penalty of life in jail if convicted. The men were refused bail and are expected to front Parramatta Local Court on Friday.

Daily Telegraph
25-06-2025
- Daily Telegraph
Teen driver, 15, among six injured after stolen car crashes during police pursuit in Woodberry
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News. A police pursuit in the Hunter region has ended in a crash this morning, leaving six teenagers in hospital and launching a criminal investigation. Officers from the Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were patrolling Woodberry Rd at Millers Forest at about 4:15am on Wednesday when they spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen. Police say the driver failed to stop when directed, prompting a short pursuit that lasted less than a minute before the car veered off the road and crashed at Woodberry, about 5km north of Hexham. Officers rendered immediate assistance to six occupants – believed to be teenagers – allegedly travelling in the vehicle. One of the teens being taken away on a stretcher. Picture: TNV Officers at the scene of the crash. Picture: TNV NSW Ambulance paramedics transported all six to John Hunter Hospital for assessment with police confirming that none of the injuries are believed to be life-threatening. Pictures from the scene show a heavy emergency response, with at least half a dozen paramedics and police swarming the crash site as injured teenagers were carefully lifted onto stretchers. Police conducting inquiries. Picture: TNV Preliminary checks confirmed the vehicle had been stolen during an aggravated break-and-enter at a home in East Maitland overnight. Initial inquiries suggest a 15-year-old boy was behind the wheel at the time of the crash. Investigations are continuing. Do you have a story for The Daily Telegraph? Message 0481 056 618 or email tips@


Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Two-year-old child is found dead inside a home sparking a major investigation in Fingal Bay
A young child has died after they were found unresponsive at a home in the NSW Hunter Region. Emergency services were called to the Fingal Bay property about 12.10pm on Monday.

ABC News
23-06-2025
- ABC News
Six people and an unborn baby die in horror spate of accidents on NSW roads
Six people and an unborn baby have died on New South Wales roads since Friday, as the national road toll soars to a 15-year high. There were three fatal accidents in the Hunter region alone, including a head-on collision that killed a 55-year-old woman and the unborn baby of the 28-year-old who was driving the car she was in. New South Wales Police are still searching for a 19-year-old man and a female passenger, who allegedly ran from the scene in the Newcastle suburb of North Lambton early on Sunday. On Sunday night, a 98-year-old man died after he was hit by a car while crossing the street at Awaba, near Lake Macquarie. Police said the 49-year-old male driver was not believed to be speeding or under the influence of drugs or alcohol. At nearby Fennel Bay, a 38-year-old woman died early on Monday when her car collided with another vehicle and crashed through a fence and hit a tree. NSW Police Assistant Acting Commissioner Paul Dunston said it had been "a horrible weekend on our roads in Newcastle". He said a critical incident investigation would examine the actions of police who were monitoring the vehicle involved in the North Lambton tragedy. NSW Police issued a statement saying police had seen a vehicle being driven dangerously, but did not start a pursuit due to safety concerns. On Friday, a 46-year-old truck driver died after his vehicle veered off Bangalow Road and smashed into a tree at Clunes, near Lismore. On the same day, a 56-year-old man died when the car he was a passenger in rolled at Bangheet, about 90 kilometres east of Moree. The spate of fatal crashes continued on Saturday, when a man in his 40s died when the car he was in rolled at Tura Beach, about 30km south-east of Bega, on the state's south coast. Assistant Acting Commissioner Dunston said the community could be assured that police were out and enforcing road rules. "We are out doing our best to minimise the road toll," he said. The Australian Automobile Association has found that the year up until May 31, 2025, was the country's deadliest since 2010. In the past year, 1,337 people have died on Australian roads, which was a 4.8 per cent increase on the previous 12 months. Australasian College of Road Safety chief executive Ingrid Johnson said many factors have contributed to the rise, including speeding. "That is a consistent increase that we haven't seen since the 1970s," she said. Dr Johnson said the government should abolish mobile speed camera warning signs to reduce speeding.