Liz Farquhar is the Lead News Reporter in Newcastle and has been reporting for the ABC since 1995.
Follow Liz on Twitter: @lizfarquhar
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
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| UpdatedOne 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
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| UpdatedA 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
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| UpdatedA 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
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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
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| UpdatedSeveral 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
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| UpdatedGlobal 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
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
Posted
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
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
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| UpdatedFailed 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
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
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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
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| UpdatedLake 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
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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
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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
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
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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
Posted
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
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| UpdatedThe 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
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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
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| UpdatedDigital ride-sharing service Uber is extending its reach, with the business launching Newcastle today.
Topics: road-transport, newcastle-2300
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| UpdatedThe 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
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| UpdatedPassengers 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
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| UpdatedThe 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