LOCAL NEWS
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LIFE & STYLE PAGE 11
POLICE NEWS
THE IMMUNISATION DEBATE
KURRI SINGER OFF TO NASHVILLE ASHVILLE
THE BEAT
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JANUARY 30 2013 WWW.NEWCASTLEPOST.COM.AU
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT PH: 49 610 310
Graffiti attack Councillors despair over recurring graffiti at children’s park AMELIA PARROTT
M
aitland councillors Philip and Nicole Penfold have raised concerns over the persistent graffiti attacks that have plagued the children’s playground in Finney Close in Rutherford. Cr Philip Penfold said that despite being cleaned by Maitland City Council twice within the past 5 months, last week vandals yet again targeted the playground, covering “every square metre of the kids’ slides, seats and softfall rubber floor� with tags, messages and obscenities. Cr Penfold said he found it most concerning that the destructive behaviour was occurring less than 200 metres from the Rutherford Youth Space, an area targeted by Maitland City Council under the NSW Government’s graffiti ‘hot spot’ program, which was launched in March last year to prevent graffiti. He believes more needs to be done to educate local youths about the cost of their vandalism and suggested the establishment of a forum between youth, councillors and Council staff. “Graffiti removal costs Council tens of thousands of dollars a year,� he said. “The solution is engaging the youth – having a conversation with them about the cost of their actions and perhaps they can even let us in about why they are doing this to Council property.� A spokesperson from Maitland City Council said that Council currently do not have a policy on graffiti prevention but are proactive in graffiti removal and offer rewards for information leading to a conviction regarding the vandalism of a council asset.
CUTS WILL BLEED Health industry workers took to the streets of Newcastle last week, furious over O’Farrell Government’s reported $3 billion in health cuts. Health workers were joined outside Newcastle Panthers on Wednesday by Health Services Union (HSU) representatives, local Labor MPs and councillors and State Opposition Leader, John Robertson, as they marched to Liberal MP Tim Owen’s Hunter Street office...
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MORE SUPPORT Fearnley’s impassioned Australia Day address PAGE 5
RIDING THE WAVE Aussie world champs confirmed for Surfest Councillors Nicole and Philip Penfold visit the vandalised playground in Rutherford
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