Latest news with #LakeMacquarieCityCouncil
The Advertiser
6 days ago
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
'Puncture, puncture, puncture': potholes cause bump in tyre business
Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired." Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired." Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired." Some car tyre businesses in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are experiencing more than a doubling in demand as drivers pay the price for damaged roads after last week's torrential downpour. About 300 millimetres of rain have fallen in the Lower Hunter in May, more than three times the monthly average. While residents have mostly enjoyed a break from heavy showers this week, motorists have been plagued by potholes that have sprung up across the suburban and rural road network. JAX Tyres & Auto Newcastle owner Mark Hayes said his business has seen a 50 per cent increase in tyre and wheel damage caused by impacts with potholes. "It was obvious on Monday; we just had puncture, puncture, puncture," Mr Hayes said. "We've got a car here that's jacked up that needs three wheels repaired that have buckled. "High-performance cars have light-weight wheels, and big potholes don't agree with them, so there's been a pretty dramatic increase." Mr Hayes said some of the worst potholes his customers had reported were on Myall Road at Garden Suburb, Fullerton Street in Stockton, Parkway Avenue in Hamilton East and Merewether's Llewellyn Street. JAX has also seen a 30 per cent increase in tyre punctures from nails and screws, which Mr Hayes says is common after heavy rain. Ben Haynes, owner of Cardiff-based wheel and alloy repair specialist Promac Machine Shop, has been working overtime this week to get through 20 wheel repairs a day. Promac usually fixes up to five wheels a day. "It's all pothole damage," Mr Haynes said. Some of Promac's work has involved roadside repairs to help stranded cars after suffering pothole damage. "Lots of people don't have spares anymore," he said. "There are silly European cars with no spares. We have to get them turned around pretty quickly, so there have been a few late nights trying to get everything done." The Newcastle Herald reported last Saturday that a massive pothole on Myall Road at Garden Suburb caused multiple cars to damage tyres and forced Lake Macquarie City Council road crew to make five separate repairs. Emily Franklin, the acting manager of O'Neill's Tyre & Autocare Warners Bay, said she'd seen a rise in customers with tyre damage, particularly from potholes on Myall Road and Hillsborough Road. "It's mostly been at night when it's been raining; we've had people come in with tyre damage and say, 'Be careful on Myall Road, there's a bad one there'," Ms Franklin said. Both Lake Macquarie City Council and the City of Newcastle have scheduled overtime shifts for their crews to get through the deluge of road damage caused by the heavy rain. LMCC's manager of city works, Matt Brogan, said that over the past fortnight, the council's road patching crews had been focused on high-risk potholes. "Our normal process would be that we proactively get around the whole LGA in a month," Mr Brogan said. "But we've moved off that program at the moment to deal with the high risk." Mr Brogan said it was impossible to put a figure on the number of potholes across Lake Macquarie, but his "gut feeling" was that it would take two months before the road crews could resume with proactive road management. Under dry conditions, road crews use a hot asphalt mix to repair potholes. The hot mix has to be stored and applied to the road at around 150 degrees and typically provides the best longevity. However, during rain, the hot mix cannot be used, and a cold asphalt is applied instead for a temporary fix. Lake Macquarie council has also been using a modified cold mix asphalt for the past three years that can be applied during rain in smaller potholes and without a tar patching truck. However, modified cold mix asphalt is 10 times more expensive than regular asphalt. City of Newcastle crews typically make initial repairs with cold mix asphalt, followed by hot mix a month later. Further repairs could include spray tack coat emulsion, hot mix asphalt, a thin sheet of asphalt, and emulsion to seal edges, as well as applying sand to help limit tyre adhesion. "Following the recent weather event, extra crews were added to cover a seven-day roster to attend to the increased number of potholes that resulted from the high volume of rain," a spokesperson for Newcastle council said. "Pending weather conditions, this measure will remain in place until a significant portion of the road damage has been repaired."
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- The Advertiser
Mayor urges united front to tackle antisocial behaviour on Fernleigh Track
Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said it will take a "holistic approach" from different levels of government and stakeholders to arrest the rise of dangerous and criminal behaviour on the popular Fernleigh Track. Members of the community group Taking Back Our Paths will address councillors before Monday night's Lake Macquarie City Council meeting at the Morisset Showground about their safety concerns in using the public facility. A spate of frightening incidents has occurred on the Fernleigh Track this year. Cyclists, walkers and joggers have been abused and had rocks thrown at them. Last month a woman was grabbed from behind and knocked to the ground while running near Whitebridge. There have also been several vandalism incidents, including the theft of an Indigenous canoe sculpture from a newer section of the track at the Belmont Wetland. These incidents led to Taking Back Our Paths organising a community walk on May 4, which saw more than 1000 people participate along the 27-kilometre track at Adamstown, Whitebridge, Redhead and Belmont. Cr Shultz will use a mayoral minute on Monday to table a petition to the council signed by almost 5000 people, calling for action to make the Fernleigh Track safer. Cr Shultz hopes to bring Hunter state politicians, minister for women Jodie Harrison and minister for police Yasmin Catley together with representatives from the City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie council and community groups to discuss initiatives to make the Fernleigh Track safer. "We want to collaborate and effectively create a safer environment," Cr Shultz said. "At the end of the day, when you're having multiple reports of unsafe or criminal behaviour, be it assaults, harassments, electric scooters, or trail bikes, it's just not on. "We collectively need to have a discussion and come up with strategies to try and mitigate and reduce the risks for people." The dangerous use of electric scooters and unregistered trail bikes on the Fernleigh Track has been an issue repeatedly raised with Cr Shultz by Lake Macquarie residents. Police have increased patrols on the track and CCTV cameras have also been touted as a possible deterrent to antisocial behaviour. Cr Shultz said covering a 27km track with CCTV cameras was not financially realistic. "Let's sit down and work out what we can do and how we can educate people and how we can try and mitigate some of the risks," he said. "Is that signage, additional patrols from police or additional education programs? I don't know. "But we've got to do something, and that something starts with having a conversation with the appropriate stakeholders." Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said it will take a "holistic approach" from different levels of government and stakeholders to arrest the rise of dangerous and criminal behaviour on the popular Fernleigh Track. Members of the community group Taking Back Our Paths will address councillors before Monday night's Lake Macquarie City Council meeting at the Morisset Showground about their safety concerns in using the public facility. A spate of frightening incidents has occurred on the Fernleigh Track this year. Cyclists, walkers and joggers have been abused and had rocks thrown at them. Last month a woman was grabbed from behind and knocked to the ground while running near Whitebridge. There have also been several vandalism incidents, including the theft of an Indigenous canoe sculpture from a newer section of the track at the Belmont Wetland. These incidents led to Taking Back Our Paths organising a community walk on May 4, which saw more than 1000 people participate along the 27-kilometre track at Adamstown, Whitebridge, Redhead and Belmont. Cr Shultz will use a mayoral minute on Monday to table a petition to the council signed by almost 5000 people, calling for action to make the Fernleigh Track safer. Cr Shultz hopes to bring Hunter state politicians, minister for women Jodie Harrison and minister for police Yasmin Catley together with representatives from the City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie council and community groups to discuss initiatives to make the Fernleigh Track safer. "We want to collaborate and effectively create a safer environment," Cr Shultz said. "At the end of the day, when you're having multiple reports of unsafe or criminal behaviour, be it assaults, harassments, electric scooters, or trail bikes, it's just not on. "We collectively need to have a discussion and come up with strategies to try and mitigate and reduce the risks for people." The dangerous use of electric scooters and unregistered trail bikes on the Fernleigh Track has been an issue repeatedly raised with Cr Shultz by Lake Macquarie residents. Police have increased patrols on the track and CCTV cameras have also been touted as a possible deterrent to antisocial behaviour. Cr Shultz said covering a 27km track with CCTV cameras was not financially realistic. "Let's sit down and work out what we can do and how we can educate people and how we can try and mitigate some of the risks," he said. "Is that signage, additional patrols from police or additional education programs? I don't know. "But we've got to do something, and that something starts with having a conversation with the appropriate stakeholders." Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said it will take a "holistic approach" from different levels of government and stakeholders to arrest the rise of dangerous and criminal behaviour on the popular Fernleigh Track. Members of the community group Taking Back Our Paths will address councillors before Monday night's Lake Macquarie City Council meeting at the Morisset Showground about their safety concerns in using the public facility. A spate of frightening incidents has occurred on the Fernleigh Track this year. Cyclists, walkers and joggers have been abused and had rocks thrown at them. Last month a woman was grabbed from behind and knocked to the ground while running near Whitebridge. There have also been several vandalism incidents, including the theft of an Indigenous canoe sculpture from a newer section of the track at the Belmont Wetland. These incidents led to Taking Back Our Paths organising a community walk on May 4, which saw more than 1000 people participate along the 27-kilometre track at Adamstown, Whitebridge, Redhead and Belmont. Cr Shultz will use a mayoral minute on Monday to table a petition to the council signed by almost 5000 people, calling for action to make the Fernleigh Track safer. Cr Shultz hopes to bring Hunter state politicians, minister for women Jodie Harrison and minister for police Yasmin Catley together with representatives from the City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie council and community groups to discuss initiatives to make the Fernleigh Track safer. "We want to collaborate and effectively create a safer environment," Cr Shultz said. "At the end of the day, when you're having multiple reports of unsafe or criminal behaviour, be it assaults, harassments, electric scooters, or trail bikes, it's just not on. "We collectively need to have a discussion and come up with strategies to try and mitigate and reduce the risks for people." The dangerous use of electric scooters and unregistered trail bikes on the Fernleigh Track has been an issue repeatedly raised with Cr Shultz by Lake Macquarie residents. Police have increased patrols on the track and CCTV cameras have also been touted as a possible deterrent to antisocial behaviour. Cr Shultz said covering a 27km track with CCTV cameras was not financially realistic. "Let's sit down and work out what we can do and how we can educate people and how we can try and mitigate some of the risks," he said. "Is that signage, additional patrols from police or additional education programs? I don't know. "But we've got to do something, and that something starts with having a conversation with the appropriate stakeholders." Lake Macquarie mayor Adam Shultz said it will take a "holistic approach" from different levels of government and stakeholders to arrest the rise of dangerous and criminal behaviour on the popular Fernleigh Track. Members of the community group Taking Back Our Paths will address councillors before Monday night's Lake Macquarie City Council meeting at the Morisset Showground about their safety concerns in using the public facility. A spate of frightening incidents has occurred on the Fernleigh Track this year. Cyclists, walkers and joggers have been abused and had rocks thrown at them. Last month a woman was grabbed from behind and knocked to the ground while running near Whitebridge. There have also been several vandalism incidents, including the theft of an Indigenous canoe sculpture from a newer section of the track at the Belmont Wetland. These incidents led to Taking Back Our Paths organising a community walk on May 4, which saw more than 1000 people participate along the 27-kilometre track at Adamstown, Whitebridge, Redhead and Belmont. Cr Shultz will use a mayoral minute on Monday to table a petition to the council signed by almost 5000 people, calling for action to make the Fernleigh Track safer. Cr Shultz hopes to bring Hunter state politicians, minister for women Jodie Harrison and minister for police Yasmin Catley together with representatives from the City of Newcastle, Lake Macquarie council and community groups to discuss initiatives to make the Fernleigh Track safer. "We want to collaborate and effectively create a safer environment," Cr Shultz said. "At the end of the day, when you're having multiple reports of unsafe or criminal behaviour, be it assaults, harassments, electric scooters, or trail bikes, it's just not on. "We collectively need to have a discussion and come up with strategies to try and mitigate and reduce the risks for people." The dangerous use of electric scooters and unregistered trail bikes on the Fernleigh Track has been an issue repeatedly raised with Cr Shultz by Lake Macquarie residents. Police have increased patrols on the track and CCTV cameras have also been touted as a possible deterrent to antisocial behaviour. Cr Shultz said covering a 27km track with CCTV cameras was not financially realistic. "Let's sit down and work out what we can do and how we can educate people and how we can try and mitigate some of the risks," he said. "Is that signage, additional patrols from police or additional education programs? I don't know. "But we've got to do something, and that something starts with having a conversation with the appropriate stakeholders."
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Lake Macquarie woos Sydney millennials with $90,000 coffee and VR experience
Questions have been raised about Lake Macquarie City Council's $90,000 marketing spend aimed at encouraging Sydneysiders to relocate to the region. On May 7 and 8, brand awareness activations were held in Manly and Parramatta as part of the council's Move To Lake Mac campaign. The activations featured a guided virtual experience "immersing participants in the Lake Macquarie lifestyle" via VR headsets and a 360-degree mobile device accessible via QR code, as well as a free coffee brewed in a branded beverage cart. The two activations cost $66,000, including equipment hire, branded collateral, video production, social media advertising, coffee, staffing and permits. A further $24,000 covered digital advertising, content production, photography, concept development, project management, and reporting and analysis. A spokesperson for the council said the brand awareness activation was the result of demographic analysis. "Our strategic planning recognises the need for a demographic shift in Lake Macquarie's ageing population to ensure the city's prosperity in years to come," the spokesperson said. "With that in mind, we launched marketing to lure capital-city millennials looking to relocate or build a business. This has previously consisted of online and out-of-home advertising in target areas. "The campaign raised awareness of the benefits our city can offer potential new movers, engaging potential new movers during their daily commute and creating high-visibility experiences." According to the Regional Movers Index, Lake Macquarie has no trouble attracting new residents from capital cities. For the quarter ending in December 2024, Lake Macquarie was the third-most popular destination for internal migration in Australia, accounting for five per cent of city dwellers moving to regional areas. It was the most popular regional local government area in NSW. Lake Macquarie's annual internal migration was up 22.2 per cent in 2024, placing it fifth nationally behind the Sunshine Coast (7.9), Greater Geelong (7), Gold Coast (5.3) and Moorabool (4.2) for a net capital-regional migration share of 4.2 per cent. The city's population is forecast to rise from 222,000 in 2024 to 260,000 by 2046. Much of that growth is expected to be situated on the western side of the lake in suburbs like Morisset, Wyee and Cooranbong. Last month a housing forum was held at Belmont 16s to bring together government, developers, affordable housing providers, not-for-profit community organisations and industry experts to discuss the region's response to the national housing affordability crisis and supply shortages. Anna Noon, the director of partnerships and programs with Lake Macquarie's The Groundswell Collective, said, given the housing crisis, it was irresponsible of council to be promoting the region in Sydney. "There's evidence that's been there for some time that our growth is pretty exponential as it is," Ms Noon said. "The idea of putting ratepayers resources into trying to attract more people when we're already struggling to house those we have, particularly for locals, I think, is something that should be questioned. "This idea of building brand awareness for a council in Sydney - why would we do that?" Ms Noon also criticised the $90,000 price tag of the brand awareness activation. "Surely there would be more pressing issues in our community that those funds could be better spent on," she said. The not-for-profit Groundswell Collective was awarded Community Group of the Year at the Lake Mac Awards in March for planting eight 'tiny forests' and distributing more than 6000 free seed packets across the city. Ms Noon said the recent destruction of bushland at Myall Road in Garden Suburb by NSW Government agency Landcom for housing was an example of how population growth was damaging the Lake Macquarie environment. "Our lovely environment is the reason people state why they want to move to Lake Macquarie or why they live here and that's the very thing that's being threatened the most by these increases in population," she said. "We know we need to accommodate an extra 40,000 people over the next 20 years, so it's going to be tricky already without needing to give commuters free coffees to come and move here." A spokesperson for the council said balancing growth and environmental impacts was at the forefront of the Lake Macquarie Community Strategic Plan. "Our strategy seeks to focus growth, investment, and high-quality development in existing urban areas and around centres where infrastructure already exists," they said. "The lake and our natural assets will always underpin our city's identity, and its health is critical to our lifestyle and the future of our economy. "Growing our city also means continuing to protect and enhance the health and amenity of our natural areas, waterways, and coast. "Focusing growth and investment in our existing urban areas reduces pressure on the environment." Questions have been raised about Lake Macquarie City Council's $90,000 marketing spend aimed at encouraging Sydneysiders to relocate to the region. On May 7 and 8, brand awareness activations were held in Manly and Parramatta as part of the council's Move To Lake Mac campaign. The activations featured a guided virtual experience "immersing participants in the Lake Macquarie lifestyle" via VR headsets and a 360-degree mobile device accessible via QR code, as well as a free coffee brewed in a branded beverage cart. The two activations cost $66,000, including equipment hire, branded collateral, video production, social media advertising, coffee, staffing and permits. A further $24,000 covered digital advertising, content production, photography, concept development, project management, and reporting and analysis. A spokesperson for the council said the brand awareness activation was the result of demographic analysis. "Our strategic planning recognises the need for a demographic shift in Lake Macquarie's ageing population to ensure the city's prosperity in years to come," the spokesperson said. "With that in mind, we launched marketing to lure capital-city millennials looking to relocate or build a business. This has previously consisted of online and out-of-home advertising in target areas. "The campaign raised awareness of the benefits our city can offer potential new movers, engaging potential new movers during their daily commute and creating high-visibility experiences." According to the Regional Movers Index, Lake Macquarie has no trouble attracting new residents from capital cities. For the quarter ending in December 2024, Lake Macquarie was the third-most popular destination for internal migration in Australia, accounting for five per cent of city dwellers moving to regional areas. It was the most popular regional local government area in NSW. Lake Macquarie's annual internal migration was up 22.2 per cent in 2024, placing it fifth nationally behind the Sunshine Coast (7.9), Greater Geelong (7), Gold Coast (5.3) and Moorabool (4.2) for a net capital-regional migration share of 4.2 per cent. The city's population is forecast to rise from 222,000 in 2024 to 260,000 by 2046. Much of that growth is expected to be situated on the western side of the lake in suburbs like Morisset, Wyee and Cooranbong. Last month a housing forum was held at Belmont 16s to bring together government, developers, affordable housing providers, not-for-profit community organisations and industry experts to discuss the region's response to the national housing affordability crisis and supply shortages. Anna Noon, the director of partnerships and programs with Lake Macquarie's The Groundswell Collective, said, given the housing crisis, it was irresponsible of council to be promoting the region in Sydney. "There's evidence that's been there for some time that our growth is pretty exponential as it is," Ms Noon said. "The idea of putting ratepayers resources into trying to attract more people when we're already struggling to house those we have, particularly for locals, I think, is something that should be questioned. "This idea of building brand awareness for a council in Sydney - why would we do that?" Ms Noon also criticised the $90,000 price tag of the brand awareness activation. "Surely there would be more pressing issues in our community that those funds could be better spent on," she said. The not-for-profit Groundswell Collective was awarded Community Group of the Year at the Lake Mac Awards in March for planting eight 'tiny forests' and distributing more than 6000 free seed packets across the city. Ms Noon said the recent destruction of bushland at Myall Road in Garden Suburb by NSW Government agency Landcom for housing was an example of how population growth was damaging the Lake Macquarie environment. "Our lovely environment is the reason people state why they want to move to Lake Macquarie or why they live here and that's the very thing that's being threatened the most by these increases in population," she said. "We know we need to accommodate an extra 40,000 people over the next 20 years, so it's going to be tricky already without needing to give commuters free coffees to come and move here." A spokesperson for the council said balancing growth and environmental impacts was at the forefront of the Lake Macquarie Community Strategic Plan. "Our strategy seeks to focus growth, investment, and high-quality development in existing urban areas and around centres where infrastructure already exists," they said. "The lake and our natural assets will always underpin our city's identity, and its health is critical to our lifestyle and the future of our economy. "Growing our city also means continuing to protect and enhance the health and amenity of our natural areas, waterways, and coast. "Focusing growth and investment in our existing urban areas reduces pressure on the environment." Questions have been raised about Lake Macquarie City Council's $90,000 marketing spend aimed at encouraging Sydneysiders to relocate to the region. On May 7 and 8, brand awareness activations were held in Manly and Parramatta as part of the council's Move To Lake Mac campaign. The activations featured a guided virtual experience "immersing participants in the Lake Macquarie lifestyle" via VR headsets and a 360-degree mobile device accessible via QR code, as well as a free coffee brewed in a branded beverage cart. The two activations cost $66,000, including equipment hire, branded collateral, video production, social media advertising, coffee, staffing and permits. A further $24,000 covered digital advertising, content production, photography, concept development, project management, and reporting and analysis. A spokesperson for the council said the brand awareness activation was the result of demographic analysis. "Our strategic planning recognises the need for a demographic shift in Lake Macquarie's ageing population to ensure the city's prosperity in years to come," the spokesperson said. "With that in mind, we launched marketing to lure capital-city millennials looking to relocate or build a business. This has previously consisted of online and out-of-home advertising in target areas. "The campaign raised awareness of the benefits our city can offer potential new movers, engaging potential new movers during their daily commute and creating high-visibility experiences." According to the Regional Movers Index, Lake Macquarie has no trouble attracting new residents from capital cities. For the quarter ending in December 2024, Lake Macquarie was the third-most popular destination for internal migration in Australia, accounting for five per cent of city dwellers moving to regional areas. It was the most popular regional local government area in NSW. Lake Macquarie's annual internal migration was up 22.2 per cent in 2024, placing it fifth nationally behind the Sunshine Coast (7.9), Greater Geelong (7), Gold Coast (5.3) and Moorabool (4.2) for a net capital-regional migration share of 4.2 per cent. The city's population is forecast to rise from 222,000 in 2024 to 260,000 by 2046. Much of that growth is expected to be situated on the western side of the lake in suburbs like Morisset, Wyee and Cooranbong. Last month a housing forum was held at Belmont 16s to bring together government, developers, affordable housing providers, not-for-profit community organisations and industry experts to discuss the region's response to the national housing affordability crisis and supply shortages. Anna Noon, the director of partnerships and programs with Lake Macquarie's The Groundswell Collective, said, given the housing crisis, it was irresponsible of council to be promoting the region in Sydney. "There's evidence that's been there for some time that our growth is pretty exponential as it is," Ms Noon said. "The idea of putting ratepayers resources into trying to attract more people when we're already struggling to house those we have, particularly for locals, I think, is something that should be questioned. "This idea of building brand awareness for a council in Sydney - why would we do that?" Ms Noon also criticised the $90,000 price tag of the brand awareness activation. "Surely there would be more pressing issues in our community that those funds could be better spent on," she said. The not-for-profit Groundswell Collective was awarded Community Group of the Year at the Lake Mac Awards in March for planting eight 'tiny forests' and distributing more than 6000 free seed packets across the city. Ms Noon said the recent destruction of bushland at Myall Road in Garden Suburb by NSW Government agency Landcom for housing was an example of how population growth was damaging the Lake Macquarie environment. "Our lovely environment is the reason people state why they want to move to Lake Macquarie or why they live here and that's the very thing that's being threatened the most by these increases in population," she said. "We know we need to accommodate an extra 40,000 people over the next 20 years, so it's going to be tricky already without needing to give commuters free coffees to come and move here." A spokesperson for the council said balancing growth and environmental impacts was at the forefront of the Lake Macquarie Community Strategic Plan. "Our strategy seeks to focus growth, investment, and high-quality development in existing urban areas and around centres where infrastructure already exists," they said. "The lake and our natural assets will always underpin our city's identity, and its health is critical to our lifestyle and the future of our economy. "Growing our city also means continuing to protect and enhance the health and amenity of our natural areas, waterways, and coast. "Focusing growth and investment in our existing urban areas reduces pressure on the environment." Questions have been raised about Lake Macquarie City Council's $90,000 marketing spend aimed at encouraging Sydneysiders to relocate to the region. On May 7 and 8, brand awareness activations were held in Manly and Parramatta as part of the council's Move To Lake Mac campaign. The activations featured a guided virtual experience "immersing participants in the Lake Macquarie lifestyle" via VR headsets and a 360-degree mobile device accessible via QR code, as well as a free coffee brewed in a branded beverage cart. The two activations cost $66,000, including equipment hire, branded collateral, video production, social media advertising, coffee, staffing and permits. A further $24,000 covered digital advertising, content production, photography, concept development, project management, and reporting and analysis. A spokesperson for the council said the brand awareness activation was the result of demographic analysis. "Our strategic planning recognises the need for a demographic shift in Lake Macquarie's ageing population to ensure the city's prosperity in years to come," the spokesperson said. "With that in mind, we launched marketing to lure capital-city millennials looking to relocate or build a business. This has previously consisted of online and out-of-home advertising in target areas. "The campaign raised awareness of the benefits our city can offer potential new movers, engaging potential new movers during their daily commute and creating high-visibility experiences." According to the Regional Movers Index, Lake Macquarie has no trouble attracting new residents from capital cities. For the quarter ending in December 2024, Lake Macquarie was the third-most popular destination for internal migration in Australia, accounting for five per cent of city dwellers moving to regional areas. It was the most popular regional local government area in NSW. Lake Macquarie's annual internal migration was up 22.2 per cent in 2024, placing it fifth nationally behind the Sunshine Coast (7.9), Greater Geelong (7), Gold Coast (5.3) and Moorabool (4.2) for a net capital-regional migration share of 4.2 per cent. The city's population is forecast to rise from 222,000 in 2024 to 260,000 by 2046. Much of that growth is expected to be situated on the western side of the lake in suburbs like Morisset, Wyee and Cooranbong. Last month a housing forum was held at Belmont 16s to bring together government, developers, affordable housing providers, not-for-profit community organisations and industry experts to discuss the region's response to the national housing affordability crisis and supply shortages. Anna Noon, the director of partnerships and programs with Lake Macquarie's The Groundswell Collective, said, given the housing crisis, it was irresponsible of council to be promoting the region in Sydney. "There's evidence that's been there for some time that our growth is pretty exponential as it is," Ms Noon said. "The idea of putting ratepayers resources into trying to attract more people when we're already struggling to house those we have, particularly for locals, I think, is something that should be questioned. "This idea of building brand awareness for a council in Sydney - why would we do that?" Ms Noon also criticised the $90,000 price tag of the brand awareness activation. "Surely there would be more pressing issues in our community that those funds could be better spent on," she said. The not-for-profit Groundswell Collective was awarded Community Group of the Year at the Lake Mac Awards in March for planting eight 'tiny forests' and distributing more than 6000 free seed packets across the city. Ms Noon said the recent destruction of bushland at Myall Road in Garden Suburb by NSW Government agency Landcom for housing was an example of how population growth was damaging the Lake Macquarie environment. "Our lovely environment is the reason people state why they want to move to Lake Macquarie or why they live here and that's the very thing that's being threatened the most by these increases in population," she said. "We know we need to accommodate an extra 40,000 people over the next 20 years, so it's going to be tricky already without needing to give commuters free coffees to come and move here." A spokesperson for the council said balancing growth and environmental impacts was at the forefront of the Lake Macquarie Community Strategic Plan. "Our strategy seeks to focus growth, investment, and high-quality development in existing urban areas and around centres where infrastructure already exists," they said. "The lake and our natural assets will always underpin our city's identity, and its health is critical to our lifestyle and the future of our economy. "Growing our city also means continuing to protect and enhance the health and amenity of our natural areas, waterways, and coast. "Focusing growth and investment in our existing urban areas reduces pressure on the environment."
