Paedophile whistleblower says more victims could have been spared

A jury has been told a man who allegedly drove a getaway car after the shooting death of a Newcastle grandmother was part of a targeted killing.

Gillian Sneddon helped put paedophile politician Milton Orkopoulos in jail, but she believes police missed opportunities to investigate before he committed more crimes.

Organisers estimate around 500 people attended an event at Nelson Bay, as locals raised concerns about the potential impact of an offshore wind zone.

An exclusion zone was set up north of Newcastle because of the threat of an explosion inside an energy plant.

The NSW government is being urged to change how agencies respond to vulnerable people after recent deaths following interactions with police.

Mark* never expected to learn algebra, and he definitely didn't think he would pick it up in prison. But the Hunter Correctional Centre inmate is now aiming for a degree in construction management.

The ABC spoke to a number of First Nations people in Sydney and the regions to hear what the Voice means to them.

Kotara High School principal Mark Sneddon says the "battle with phones in class is gone" and student habits are changing at home.

Countries around the world are moving away from issuing physical entry and exit stamps and others are going completely paperless, leaving travellers feeling nostalgic.

Dave Gleeson says band mate Paul Woseen put his heart and soul into the new album before he died unexpectedly.

"The bed bug will feed on us early in the morning when we're absolutely dead sound asleep," says Keith Farrow, a member of the working party for the Australian Industry Code of Best Practice for Bed Bug Management.

Sport Hall of Fame honours: Newcastle's three-time Paralympic gold medallist Kurt Fearnley (pictured above) is among seven new inductees into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. The 42-year-old has been recognised for a career spanning two decades, in which he won three Paralympic gold medals, four World Championships and two Commonwealth Games gold medals in wheelchair racing events. Joining him as inductees are former Socceroo Tim Cahill, aerial skier Lydia Lassila, rugby league great Johnathan Thurston, former Hockeyroo and Olympic runner Nova Peris, Olympic rower Kim Brennan, and rowing coach Tim McLaren.

Drought declarations: Several parts of the Hunter are in drought, according to the state government's latest data. The Department of Primary Industries Drought Indicator says the Port Stephens local government area is in drought, as is the majority of Newcastle. The latest data also shows some parts of Dungog, Lake Macquarie and Maitland are in drought, while the remainder of the region is drought-affected. The DPI looks at rainfall, soil moisture and crop growth and if any of these fall below 30 per cent when compared to historical records, drought is declared.

Coal mine to reopen: The Upper Hunter's Dartbrook coal mine is set to reopen by the end of the year. Its owners, Australian Pacific Coal, received approval last year to restart the underground mine near Aberdeen which was mothballed in 2006. The company has raised more than a $100 million from investors and joint partners to get the mine ready for coal production.

A $580m waterfront development gets nod: Work on a luxury waterfront hotel at Lake Macquarie is expected to begin in the next 18 months after it was approved by the NSW Department of Planning. Developer Keith Johnson is behind the $580 million Trinity Point project near Morisset. It will include a five-star hotel, 180 apartments, restaurants, a function centre and marina.

Demolition of former bowlo: Demolition work is beginning this week at the former Maitland Park Bowling Club, which was significantly damaged by fire earlier this year. The Maitland City Council says an independent assessment determined it needed to be demolished because of safety concerns. Demolition will take place in two stages and council expects it to be complete by the end of November. Stage one involves the removal of asbestos in the building and the demolition of structurally unsafe areas.

Urgent care clinic open: A federal government urgent care clinic is now open in Cessnock. It's one of 14 in New South Wales and offers bulk-billed appointments for non-life-threatening urgent medical issues. Assistant Health Minister Emma McBride and Hunter MP Dan Repacholi officially opened the clinic last Friday.

Mental health services to move to new facility: Early planning for a new mental health facility at the Maitland Hospital is underway. The project is part of the state government's $700 million statewide Mental Health Infrastructure Program. People with lived experience of mental health are among those set to help with its design. The government says some services currently located at the Morisset Hospital will be relocated to the new mental health facility at Maitland.

Motorcycle safety campaign: Four Hunter councils are working together to raise awareness about motorcycle safety in a bid to prevent serious crashes. Port Stephens, Maitland, Mid Coast and Cessnock councils have launched a campaign where drivers are encouraged to spot Joe Rider, a motorcyclist who'll be wearing a high-vis vest on local roads this month.