Hunter's Best

Newcastle's ANZAC Day Services

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them."

Friday 25 April 2008

Dawn Service, Nobbys Beach – 5am for a 5.15am start. This year’s Dawn Service features a new design of the ceremony site in response to the increasing number of people attending this service.

There will be a march from Horseshoe Beach car park to the ceremony site at Nobbys Beach by serving members (INCLUDING contingents from HMAS NEWCASTLE, HMAS TOBRUK, HMAS DIAMANTINA, No 26 Squadron RAAF Williamtown) tri-service cadets and ex- servicemen and women. The service will conclude at approximately 6am with a four-gun Salute to the Fallen by the coastal guns of Fort Scratchley.

Baths to Bar Community Ocean Swim Postponed Due to Dangerous Surf

Source: Hunter Water

DUE TO DANGEROUS SURF CONDITIONS, THIS EVENT WILL NOW BE HELD ON 26 APRIL.

As major sponsor of the Baths to Bar Community Ocean Swim, Hunter Water invites the community to participate in the 1.5 kilometre, one way swim, from Merewether Baths to Bar Beach on Saturday 26 April 2008.

Upgraded Justice Precinct can Revitalise East End

Source:  Hunter Business Chamber

In response to a feasibility study for a new Justice Precinct for the Hunter retaining the legal precinct in the eastern area of Newcastle CBD was the best way to help reinvigorate the city, Hunter Business Chamber CEO, Peter Shinnick, said today.

“And the way to bring about this revitalisation is to involve the private sector in the development and operation of the new Justice Precinct.”

Honeysuckle Harbourside public domain vision unveiled

Source: Hunter Development Corporation

The Hunter Development Corporation today unveiled a conceptual vision for the design of the remaining public domain areas along the Honeysuckle harbourfront between the Marina and Lee Wharf.

Hunter Development Corporation Chairman Paul Broad said the Corporation had engaged renowned Novocastrian landscape architectural design company Terras to produce conceptual designs of the harbourside landscape consistent with the Honeysuckle Public Domain Strategy.

“This design concept allows the community to visualise what the harbourside may look like when the Honeysuckle urban renewal project is complete,” Mr Broad said.

Nobbys Lighthouse Development

Source: Hunter Business Chamber

Over the past few days the Chamber has been asked to comment throughout the regional media on the proposed development of the iconic Nobbys site. The Business Chamber believes that Nobbys is an iconic part of this region and encourages its members to provide further comment on this development.  For your information a copy of the Chamber media statement is below.   

Minister should support - Wide community views

The overwhelming majority of individuals and organisations who supported the plan for Nobbys knew that it was the best way to make the area available to the wider community while at the same time protecting its heritage value, the President of Hunter Business Chamber, Karen Howard, said today.

4th Annual Street Performers’ Festival

Source: Livesites

MAMMOTH FESTIVAL - EAST TO WEST...EXTRA SITES...MORE ACTS...

JUST FOR YOU!

Come one, come all! the best street acts gather in Newcastle for the 4th Annual Street Performers Festival.

The Street Performers Festival takes over the streets of Newcastle for four days in April. Get yourself into town, and let the festival take you over!

Age of Conversation rockets up Amazon bestseller charts

The power of social media was demonstrated today when the Age of Conversation online community combined to push their book near the top of Amazon's bestseller charts.

A 24 hour "Bum Rush" co-ordinated by Chris Wilson saw hundreds of bloggers mobilize to promote the innovative marketing publication The Age of Conversation.  In one day the book has risen from an Amazon ranking of approximately 110,000 to finish the day at  #262 for all books and  #36 on the Business Bestsellers list.

The "Bum Rush" marketing effort saw the book's release promoted on hundreds of websites and blogs around the world, then heavily pushed on Digg.com, where it was the fastest rising web topic in the last 24 hours.

Readers were encouraged to buy the book from Amazon, make comments, review it, Digg it and tell their friends, and discuss the progress on Twitter.

The rush started in Australia, which is only lightly represented in the book, then proceeded around the world until midnight on the US east-coast. Bleary-eyed bloggers stayed online for the entire push, giving encouragement in a real online-style festival.

The book had another breakthrough when it became listed on Wikipedia during the "Bum Rush". A profile of the book and listing of authors can be found here.

Of course thats not the end of the story. Now that Age of Conversation is well up the Amazon rankings, we want to maintain the rage and try to push it further. Its not too late to buy a copy. Buy one for your business, your clients, your friends or family. All proceeds go to Variety, the children's charity.

HELPING NOBBYS BEACH

Source: Newcastle Port Corporation

Want to volunteer some of your time for a good cause?

Newcastle Port Corporation is sponsoring a rehabilitation project at Nobbys Beach by Conservation Volunteers Australia (CVA) between Monday, 17 March and Thursday, 20 March - and we need a few helping hands.

CVA has organised a group of international and local volunteers to remove bitou bush and re-establish native species along the beach but needs more volunteers for the four-day project. Volunteering for CVA is a great way to enjoy the outdoors, meet new people and learn new skills. If you volunteer for 30 hours you can complete a Certificate One qualification in Active Volunteering.

Port Stephens Foreshore Plan - Draft

Source: Great Lakes Council

The Port Stephens Foreshore Management Plan compiles and augments the findings of a large number of previous studies to provide a framework that can be used to protect and enhance the environmental, recreational, aesthetic, economic, and cultural values of the Port Stephens foreshore.

First meeting of Hunter Development Corporation Board

Source: Honeysuckle Development Corporation

The Board of Directors of the Hunter Development Corporation met for the first time today following the official commencement of the new entity which was gazetted on 18 January 2008.

The Hunter Development Corporation was formed by the merger of the Honeysuckle Development Corporation and the Regional Land Management Corporation (RLMC).