COUNCIL PAGE 7
life & style PAGE 16
inside TE starts PAGE 17
COMMUNITY CONVERSATION
LOOK AFTER YOUR GUT
OWL EYES
september 18 2013 www.newcastlepost.com.au
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT PH: 49 610 310
Honour the commitment Fitzgibbon calls on Liberals to maintain Levee funding Melissah Comber
T
he dust may still be settling on the new Federal Government, but Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon has wasted no time in holding them to account. With Maitland Mayor Peter Blackmore and Councillor Robert Aitchison, Mr Fitzgibbon launched a petition last Friday, calling for the Abbott Government to honour the Rudd Government’s commitment of $7 million for the Levee project. The funding was promised on August 23, and would have contributed almost half of the $15 million needed for the development. However, the funding was announced more than two weeks after the government went into caretaker mode on August 5, and a contract had not been signed. According to caretaker conventions, per the Department of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet, governments should ‘avoid entering major contracts or undertakings during the caretaker period’. This means that the new Coalition Government is not obligated to deliver anything promised by the former Labor Government. Mr Fitzgibbon said that the $7 million had been fully budgeted, and that there was no reason for the agreement not to be honoured. “[The money] was allocated under Round Five of the Regional Development Australia Fund, and went through two or three rigorous selection processes,” he said. “There is no excuse. It’s needed here in Maitland.” Maitland Mayor, Councillor Peter
CAREER OPTIONS Hairdressing, robotics, cake decorating and music mixing – if you can name a trade chances are it was on show at the Canopy as part of YAKKA Day. Organised by local careers and recruitment organisation, Career Links, YAKKA Day gives indigenous youth the chance to try a new skill, gain exposure to a wide variety of employment opportunities and to learn about different occupations through interactiveworkshops.
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PENSIONER REBATE
Fighting to correct a 30-year problem Page 4
Councillor Robert Aitchison signs the petition under the eyes of Joel Fitzgibbon MP and Councillor Peter Blackmore
Blackmore, said that the Council had all the necessary support in obtaining the funding. “We, in the City of Maitland, are counting on it. I just hope the doubt surrounding it is media hype.” Council said that the project would be going ahead, with or without the funding.
“The adopted funding strategy for the Levee identifies loans, grants, developer contributions under Section 94A of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act and asset sales,” General Manager David Evans told the Post. “Council has already resolved to borrow up to $10 million toward the project,
half of which will benefit from an interest subsidy grant from the State Government. “Should the $7 million from Regional Development Australia not be forthcoming, the balance of funds will come from the other sources identified.” The petition can be found in several shops in the mall.
TOWN HALL Maitland gets $2m for refurbishment Page 5