Liz Farquhar
Liz Farquhar is the Lead News Reporter in Newcastle and has been reporting for the ABC since 1995.
Follow Liz on Twitter: @lizfarquhar
Senate inquiry seeks to quell hysteria around shark attacks
Posted
A Senate inquiry is aiming to quell public hysteria surrounding shark attacks, by looking at how modern technology can track their movements.
Topics: shark, federal-government, surfing, ballina-2478, redhead-2290, perth-6000, sydney-2000, southport-4215
Pressure mounting to improve NSW palliative care
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One of Australia's first specialist palliative care doctors has accused New South Wales health authorities of dropping the ball when it comes to end-of-life care.
Topics: health-policy, doctors-and-medical-professionals, charities-and-community-organisations, newcastle-2300, tamworth-2340, orange-2800
Hunter Valley mine expansion rejected again
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A major Hunter Valley mine expansion, Anglo American's Drayton South project, is rejected for the fourth time amid concerns it poses too many risks to the environment.
Topics: mining-industry, industry, mining-rural, environment, environmental-impact, singleton-2330, scone-2337, muswellbrook-2333
100 women help veteran fulfil wartime wish for 100th birthday
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A wartime promise turns into a very special 100th birthday celebration for a former British Army officer now living near Newcastle, who promised his troops he would celebrate with 100 women if he made it that far.
Topics: army, community-and-society, world-war-2, newcastle-2300, swansea-2281
Sir William Dobell's Lake Macquarie home to be granted NSW heritage listing
Posted
The NSW Government is to list the former Lake Macquarie home of Australian artist Sir William Dobell on its heritage register.
Topics: painting, contemporary-art, community-organisations, wangi-wangi-2267
Chinese company makes deal to buy Hunter coal mines
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Several mines in the New South Wales Hunter Valley may have foreign ownership soon, with Rio Tinto reaching a $3.2 billion agreement with Chinese company Yancoal to purchase Coal and Allied.
Topics: coal, industry, business-economics-and-finance, newcastle-2300, singleton-2330, warkworth-2330
Rio cuts $3b deal to sell coal assets to Chinese miner
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Global miner Rio Tinto wants to sell its giant Australian coal operation to China's Yancoal for $3.2 billion — but the sale still needs to be approved by the Federal Government and company shareholders.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, company-news, mining-industry, markets, multinationals, australia, china, newcastle-2300, warkworth-2330, singleton-2330
Former Labor backbencher says cannabis oil got him through cancer treatment
Posted
A former New South Wales Labor backbencher has spoken out about his battle with pancreatic cancer and how cannabis oil is a vital part of his ongoing treatment.
Topics: cancer, cannabis, political-parties, newcastle-2300
Driver jailed for pursuit linked to police death
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A man charged over two police pursuits in the Hunter Valley, has been found guilty of one, which happened on the same night as the death of a local police officer.
Topics: courts-and-trials, police, traffic-offences, newcastle-2300, greta-2334, north-rothbury-2335
Sinkhole swallows car in Newcastle
Posted
A flood of water from a burst water main has opened up a large hole in a Newcastle suburban road, swallowing a car.
Topics: water-supply, water-management, disasters-and-accidents, community-and-society, wickham-2293
Tinkler defends Drayton South coal mine
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Failed mining magnate Nathan Tinkler tells a planning hearing into a proposed Hunter Valley coal mine that the horse industry is acting like it "owns the region".
Topics: mining-industry, mining-environmental-issues, equine-production, muswellbrook-2333, newcastle-2300
New artwork by John Olsen unveiled in Newcastle
Posted
A man described as one of Australia's greatest living artists, John Olsen, has unveiled an artwork paying tribute to his hometown of Newcastle.
Topics: contemporary-art, library-museum-and-gallery, newcastle-2300
RAAF celebrates centenary of combat squadrons
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A special celebration is being held at the Royal Australian Air Force base in Newcastle on Friday, marking 100 years since the formation of its first flying units.
Topics: air-force, world-war-1, history, world-war-2, williamtown-2318, amberley-4306, malaysia
Lake Macquarie bid to tap into $50m Smart Cities Plan
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Lake Macquarie hopes to attract more than $1billion in investment by becoming part of the Federal Government's Smart Cities Plan.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, federal---state-issues, local-government, glendale-2285
Federal Government promises to review safe levels of chemicals in drinking water
Posted
Just days after new guidelines were released, the Coalition is promising to review new drinking water standards for toxic chemicals.
Topics: water-pollution, defence-forces, federal-elections, williamtown-2318, oakey-4401
Travellers left in the lurch as airport shuttle goes into liquidation
Posted
The liquidator of a Newcastle-based airport transfer business is desperately trying to contact customers who have pre-booked trips, so they are not left stranded.
Topics: community-and-society, travel-and-tourism, work, lifestyle-and-leisure, newcastle-2300, sydney-2000
New look for Newcastle's historic post office
Posted
Newcastle's historic post office building could soon be transformed, with calls for expressions of interest for a joint venture partner to develop the site.
Topics: urban-development-and-planning, aboriginal, newcastle-2300
Hunter communities left waiting as flying fox funding flies south
Posted
The New South Wales Government has been accused of pork barrelling in a marginal Federal electorate and ignoring the Hunter Valley on flying fox funding.
Topics: endangered-and-protected-species, states-and-territories, local-government, cessnock-2325, raymond-terrace-2324, blackalls-park-2283, singleton-2330
Anglican church sets up Parish Recovery Team to support abuse survivors
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Newcastle's Anglican church develops a long-term framework to help survivors of child sexual abuse tell their stories and recover.
Topics: anglicans, child-abuse, royal-commissions, newcastle-2300
Sydney's light rail lessons could help with Newcastle network
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The Newcastle transport coordinator general says some of the methods used to help Sydney businesses cope with light rail construction could be implemented locally.
Topics: transport, urban-development-and-planning, rail-transport, newcastle-2300, newcastle-east-2300
Paterson MP Bob Baldwin steps down after 17 years in Federal Parliament
Posted
The Liberal Party searches for a new candidate for the marginal Federal seat of Paterson after sitting MP Bob Baldwin announces he will not recontest the seat.
Topics: federal-elections, federal-government, federal-parliament, liberals, raymond-terrace-2324, maitland-2320
Taxi drivers demand regulation as Uber expands to Newcastle
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Digital ride-sharing service Uber is extending its reach, with the business launching Newcastle today.
Topics: road-transport, newcastle-2300
Government releases further details of Newcastle's light rail
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The NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance has described Newcastle's new light rail as the first step in the city's future tram network.
Topics: states-and-territories, local-government, regional, newcastle-2300, wickham-2293, hamilton-2303
Fire on freight train forces rail passengers to flee
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Passengers were forced to climb down ladders to get off a train near Newcastle after a nearby freight train caught fire.
Topics: fires, rail, rail-transport, cardiff-2285
Moves to contain contaminated water at former Newcastle gasworks
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The owner of one of Newcastle's most contaminated industrial sites, a former gasworks at Hamilton North, says a remediation plan will be complete by June.
Topics: land-pollution, water-pollution, hamilton-2303
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