Latest news with #Merewether
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Pregnant special education teacher who allegedly groomed and had sex with a 15-year-old schoolboy breaks down in tears as she fronts court
A special education teacher charged with grooming and having sex with a 15-year-old boy will be released on bail due to her 'high risk' pregnancy. Karly Rae was arrested in October at her home in Merewether in the NSW Hunter region after she allegedly had sex with the teenager from her school. The schoolboy is not believed to require special needs support. The incident allegedly occurred some time between 6pm on October 4 and 12.30pm the following day, court documents seen by The Daily Telegraph said. The former teacher has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges. There is no suggestion the teenager is the father of her unborn child. During a bail hearing on Friday, the court heard Rae had initially been granted bail following her arrest but was thrown behind bars three months later. The court heard she rang the teenager five times in two hours to get him to 'give a false version of events' on January 14, allegedly breaching an apprehended domestic violence order in place to protect the 15-year-old. She was subsequently arrested and has been in custody for the last four months. On Friday, Justice Dhanji granted Rae bail under strict conditions, citing her 'high risk' pregnancy as a key reason. 'The applicant is 23 weeks pregnant, due to give birth in September,' he said. At the mention of her pregnancy, Rae could be seen sobbing silently on the video link she used to join the court hearing. Justice Dhanji noted the pregnancy was 'complicated' and 'high risk' due to her gestational diabetes, as well as her previous experience with miscarriages. He said due to the nature of the allegations against Rae, the child would not be able to stay with her if she remained in custody. Addressing her previous breach of bail, he acknowledged she did attempt to dissuade the teenager from giving an 'accurate version of events'. He said Rae was 'no longer able to work as a teacher' and it is 'highly improbable that there would be any attempt by the applicant to engage in sexual activity with a child'. At least 14 bail conditions have been applied, including home detention, no social media, and the requirement to report to Toronto Police Station three days a week. Earlier this week, Rae appeared on a video link at Newcastle Magistrates Court where she pleaded not guilty to five charges. These included aggravated sexual intercourse with a child aged between 14 and 16, grooming a child for unlawful sexual activity and possession of child abuse material. She is also facing charges of do act to pervert the course of justice and contravene apprehended violence order after the incident in January. The charges against her of aggravated sexual intercourse with a child aged between 14 and 16 and produce child abuse material have been dropped. Rae's case will go to trial in the District Court and will be arraigned in July.
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Shock exits: Baker, Wilson casualties in 'rogue' surf on mixed day for locals
Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday. Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday. Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday. Merewether's Jackson Baker and adopted Novocastrian Julian Wilson were big-name Surfest casualties on a mixed day for local competitors in tricky conditions at Merewether beach on Thursday. Merewether's Morgan Cibilic and Ryan Callinan both advanced in bumpy 1.2 to 1.8-metre waves and are now set to go head-to-head in the round-of-32 surfers. Cilbilic took a heat win while Callinan progressed after placing second in his heat as the opening event of the World Surf League Challenger Series (CS) was back in action on Thursday after two lay days. Callinan quickly got to work in heat 12, posting wave scores of 5.83 and 5.87 before locking in a 7.50-point effort to set up progression. "It was definitely pretty rogue and all over the place, and a lot of power but pretty fun," Callinan said of the conditions. "I was just happy to catch waves and ride waves. It felt like a kind of day where you could just sit and wait for one and not be any good anyway, so I just wanted to get my feet under me and ended up getting some really good scores. "It got very stressful at the end, but I was stoked to get through." American Nolan Rapoza won the heat with 13.50 points. Callinan (13.37) locked in second but Indonesian 21-year-old Bronson Meydi (13.17) closed right in on the heat leaders with seven minutes remaining, when he produced a spectacular 8.67-point ride that included a 360-degree air reverse. "I went the same wave but I went the other way," Callinan said. "Merewether, traditionally, is a right-hander. He went left and I was thinking, 'That's good, it's normally pretty bad the left, so that's good for me', and then I hear them say, 'Eight points' ... and there was still a lot of time left. "I only needed a six to get to first, so I kind of tried to focus on getting that but at the same time trying to block him on waves that were going to allow him to get it. "My year has kind of felt like I've had some good heats and they just haven't gone my way, and it was almost feeling a bit like that again, but I was stoked to squeak through." Former Championship Tour (CT) surfer Wilson, who grew up on the Gold Coast but now calls Newcastle home, is staging a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight and arrived at Surfest after making the final of the top-tier Gold Coast Pro in early May as a trialist. The 36-year-old produced a commanding heat win when Surfest started on Monday but could not back it up in the second round on Thursday. Wilson, Surfest's 2020 winner, was unable to post a higher wave score than 4.17 points in tricky, wind-swept conditions in a stacked heat and ultimately finished fourth with a two-wave total of 4.94 points. Hawaiian Eli Hannerman was the heat-nine winner with 13.50 points, including a heat-high 7.67-point ride. Australian Liam O'Brien (12.93) was second and also progressed while Frenchman Charly Quivront (11.70) was third. "It's one of those things where you like to think you have a bit of local knowledge, but on a day like today, when it's breaking everywhere, it can be anyone's game," Callinan said. "Jules has been on such a roll and in such good form ... for him to not even get a score, that does show how hard it was." Baker was sitting second and looking as though he would progress in heat 13, only to be narrowly pipped on the buzzer by Brazilian Peterson Crisanto. Crisanto needed a wave score of 5.00 points or more to leap ahead of Baker and earned a 5.30 on his buzzer ride to finish with a two-wave heat score of 11.50. Baker, the 2022 Surfest champion, finished third with 11.20. Brazilian Samuel Pupo took a commanding win with a score of 15.24. Cibilic was the first local to advance to the round of 32, set to be surfed on Friday. The 25-year-old natural-footer hit the lead in heat 10 with 10 minutes remaining and won with a best two-wave score of 12.00 points. He edged Hawaiian Finn McGinn (11.60) in second while Australian Mikey (11.10) and Japan's Tenshi Iwami (9.23) were eliminated. "I'm frothing and stoked to get through," Cibilic said. "You don't really need local knowledge out there on a day like today, just fitness to get back out there and get in the right spot. "I feel like I took off on 15 waves and fell off on 13 of them, so I'm just stoked that I pulled off a couple. "In the off-season, I really worked on getting fit and trying to surf with a clear head, especially for conditions like this." Merewether's Philippa Anderson is through to the women's round of 32 after winning her opening round heat on Monday.
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Locals stoked with double Surfest shot as Anderson progresses on day one
Surfing a world-ranked event at your home break once a season is special enough. So, home-grown pair Jackson Baker and Ryan Callinan were clearly stoked at the announcement on Monday that Newcastle Surfest contests would bookend the World Surf League's (WSL) second-tier Challenger Series (CS). Baker, Callinan and fellow Merewether surfer Morgan Cibilic are attempting to requalify for the World Championship Tour through the seven-event CS, which began in Newcastle on Monday and returns as the last stop of the 2025-26 series next March. The CS previously comprised five events but the WSL announced on Monday, as Surfest was launched at Merewether, that events at Hawaii's Pipeline (January 28 to February 8, 2026) and in Newcastle (March 8-15, 2026) had been added for this season. The top-10 ranked male surfers and top-seven women, based on competitor's best-five results, earn a spot on the top-tier Championship Tour for 2026. "It's really exciting to finish here," Baker said on Monday. "Mentally, you're still preparing for a five-event series, so those extra two are a bonus. You kind of want to seal it up before Pipe and coming back here, but that's easier said than done. "But to finish here and be standing on the beach here in March and you've made the world tour at your local break would be a dream come true." The 28-year-old's name is etched into Surfest history as its first home-grown men's winner. Baker won the Newcastle title in 2022 when it was a third-tier Qualifying Series event. That year was his first year on the Championship Tour, a place he is determined to get back to. "It was a special day," Baker reflected of the 2022 victory. "Everyone has kind of been bringing it up in the last few weeks, but I'm just reminding myself that coming into this event it doesn't really mean anything now. "Refresh with the Challenger Series. The goal is still the same - to try to win it as a Challenger Series for the first time. "But that was a really special day. I got to share the final with Ryan, and we knew we had a 50 per cent chance that a local would finally win the thing. "It was a beautiful afternoon and the waves were really fun, really good Merewether, kind of similar today, really good conditions." Competition got underway with the men's round-of-80 surfers on Monday. Gold Coast surfer Julian Wilson, who now calls Newcastle home and won Surfest in 2020, won his opening-round heat on Monday. The 36-year-old, who is making a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight, posted a two-wave score of 13.50 points to progress to the next round alongside second-placed Tenshi Iwami (11.27) from Japan. Baker, Cibilic and Callinan hit the water in the next round, likely to start on Wednesday or Thursday depending on conditions. Callinan comes back into the CS for the first time since 2022 after missing the CT's mid-season cut last week. The 33-year-old goofy-footer has had a mixed 2025, missing two of seven CT events, but recently celebrated the birth of his first child - four-week-old daughter Penelope. "It's a big adjustment but I'm loving every second of it. It's a new adventure," Callinan said on Monday. "It's been a bit of a bumpy year competitively for me, missing an event having an injury and then missing another event for the birth of Pene, which I wouldn't change for the world. "But just trying to find the flow and find my feet in the water and what better way to do it than here at home with waves that look so fun." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, who has her own named etched in history as the 2009 Surfest's women's winner, is an event wildcard and looked right at home as she progressed to the next round with a first-up heat win on Monday. The 33-year-old natural-footer took an early heat lead then sealed a winning score of 12.06 points with a 6.33-point ride in the final minutes. Peru's Arena Rodriguez was second (11.90) and also progressed. Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum placed third (9.83) in the same heat and bowed out of the contest, along with fourth-placed Australian Oceania Rogers (8.36). "That was probably the least nervous I've ever been ... that felt really good. I guess just no pressure," Anderson said after her heat win on Monday afternoon. "For me, I was pretty devastated I didn't make the Challenger to represent our region this year but we had the trials yesterday and I said to a few of the local girls, 'Just how good is this opportunity. You have a one in 12 shot to make a Challenger'. "I kind of carried that into today, just how good is this opportunity. A bit of a different mindset for me this year." Destination NSW funding has helped secure Surfest events this year and next. Surfing a world-ranked event at your home break once a season is special enough. So, home-grown pair Jackson Baker and Ryan Callinan were clearly stoked at the announcement on Monday that Newcastle Surfest contests would bookend the World Surf League's (WSL) second-tier Challenger Series (CS). Baker, Callinan and fellow Merewether surfer Morgan Cibilic are attempting to requalify for the World Championship Tour through the seven-event CS, which began in Newcastle on Monday and returns as the last stop of the 2025-26 series next March. The CS previously comprised five events but the WSL announced on Monday, as Surfest was launched at Merewether, that events at Hawaii's Pipeline (January 28 to February 8, 2026) and in Newcastle (March 8-15, 2026) had been added for this season. The top-10 ranked male surfers and top-seven women, based on competitor's best-five results, earn a spot on the top-tier Championship Tour for 2026. "It's really exciting to finish here," Baker said on Monday. "Mentally, you're still preparing for a five-event series, so those extra two are a bonus. You kind of want to seal it up before Pipe and coming back here, but that's easier said than done. "But to finish here and be standing on the beach here in March and you've made the world tour at your local break would be a dream come true." The 28-year-old's name is etched into Surfest history as its first home-grown men's winner. Baker won the Newcastle title in 2022 when it was a third-tier Qualifying Series event. That year was his first year on the Championship Tour, a place he is determined to get back to. "It was a special day," Baker reflected of the 2022 victory. "Everyone has kind of been bringing it up in the last few weeks, but I'm just reminding myself that coming into this event it doesn't really mean anything now. "Refresh with the Challenger Series. The goal is still the same - to try to win it as a Challenger Series for the first time. "But that was a really special day. I got to share the final with Ryan, and we knew we had a 50 per cent chance that a local would finally win the thing. "It was a beautiful afternoon and the waves were really fun, really good Merewether, kind of similar today, really good conditions." Competition got underway with the men's round-of-80 surfers on Monday. Gold Coast surfer Julian Wilson, who now calls Newcastle home and won Surfest in 2020, won his opening-round heat on Monday. The 36-year-old, who is making a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight, posted a two-wave score of 13.50 points to progress to the next round alongside second-placed Tenshi Iwami (11.27) from Japan. Baker, Cibilic and Callinan hit the water in the next round, likely to start on Wednesday or Thursday depending on conditions. Callinan comes back into the CS for the first time since 2022 after missing the CT's mid-season cut last week. The 33-year-old goofy-footer has had a mixed 2025, missing two of seven CT events, but recently celebrated the birth of his first child - four-week-old daughter Penelope. "It's a big adjustment but I'm loving every second of it. It's a new adventure," Callinan said on Monday. "It's been a bit of a bumpy year competitively for me, missing an event having an injury and then missing another event for the birth of Pene, which I wouldn't change for the world. "But just trying to find the flow and find my feet in the water and what better way to do it than here at home with waves that look so fun." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, who has her own named etched in history as the 2009 Surfest's women's winner, is an event wildcard and looked right at home as she progressed to the next round with a first-up heat win on Monday. The 33-year-old natural-footer took an early heat lead then sealed a winning score of 12.06 points with a 6.33-point ride in the final minutes. Peru's Arena Rodriguez was second (11.90) and also progressed. Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum placed third (9.83) in the same heat and bowed out of the contest, along with fourth-placed Australian Oceania Rogers (8.36). "That was probably the least nervous I've ever been ... that felt really good. I guess just no pressure," Anderson said after her heat win on Monday afternoon. "For me, I was pretty devastated I didn't make the Challenger to represent our region this year but we had the trials yesterday and I said to a few of the local girls, 'Just how good is this opportunity. You have a one in 12 shot to make a Challenger'. "I kind of carried that into today, just how good is this opportunity. A bit of a different mindset for me this year." Destination NSW funding has helped secure Surfest events this year and next. Surfing a world-ranked event at your home break once a season is special enough. So, home-grown pair Jackson Baker and Ryan Callinan were clearly stoked at the announcement on Monday that Newcastle Surfest contests would bookend the World Surf League's (WSL) second-tier Challenger Series (CS). Baker, Callinan and fellow Merewether surfer Morgan Cibilic are attempting to requalify for the World Championship Tour through the seven-event CS, which began in Newcastle on Monday and returns as the last stop of the 2025-26 series next March. The CS previously comprised five events but the WSL announced on Monday, as Surfest was launched at Merewether, that events at Hawaii's Pipeline (January 28 to February 8, 2026) and in Newcastle (March 8-15, 2026) had been added for this season. The top-10 ranked male surfers and top-seven women, based on competitor's best-five results, earn a spot on the top-tier Championship Tour for 2026. "It's really exciting to finish here," Baker said on Monday. "Mentally, you're still preparing for a five-event series, so those extra two are a bonus. You kind of want to seal it up before Pipe and coming back here, but that's easier said than done. "But to finish here and be standing on the beach here in March and you've made the world tour at your local break would be a dream come true." The 28-year-old's name is etched into Surfest history as its first home-grown men's winner. Baker won the Newcastle title in 2022 when it was a third-tier Qualifying Series event. That year was his first year on the Championship Tour, a place he is determined to get back to. "It was a special day," Baker reflected of the 2022 victory. "Everyone has kind of been bringing it up in the last few weeks, but I'm just reminding myself that coming into this event it doesn't really mean anything now. "Refresh with the Challenger Series. The goal is still the same - to try to win it as a Challenger Series for the first time. "But that was a really special day. I got to share the final with Ryan, and we knew we had a 50 per cent chance that a local would finally win the thing. "It was a beautiful afternoon and the waves were really fun, really good Merewether, kind of similar today, really good conditions." Competition got underway with the men's round-of-80 surfers on Monday. Gold Coast surfer Julian Wilson, who now calls Newcastle home and won Surfest in 2020, won his opening-round heat on Monday. The 36-year-old, who is making a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight, posted a two-wave score of 13.50 points to progress to the next round alongside second-placed Tenshi Iwami (11.27) from Japan. Baker, Cibilic and Callinan hit the water in the next round, likely to start on Wednesday or Thursday depending on conditions. Callinan comes back into the CS for the first time since 2022 after missing the CT's mid-season cut last week. The 33-year-old goofy-footer has had a mixed 2025, missing two of seven CT events, but recently celebrated the birth of his first child - four-week-old daughter Penelope. "It's a big adjustment but I'm loving every second of it. It's a new adventure," Callinan said on Monday. "It's been a bit of a bumpy year competitively for me, missing an event having an injury and then missing another event for the birth of Pene, which I wouldn't change for the world. "But just trying to find the flow and find my feet in the water and what better way to do it than here at home with waves that look so fun." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, who has her own named etched in history as the 2009 Surfest's women's winner, is an event wildcard and looked right at home as she progressed to the next round with a first-up heat win on Monday. The 33-year-old natural-footer took an early heat lead then sealed a winning score of 12.06 points with a 6.33-point ride in the final minutes. Peru's Arena Rodriguez was second (11.90) and also progressed. Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum placed third (9.83) in the same heat and bowed out of the contest, along with fourth-placed Australian Oceania Rogers (8.36). "That was probably the least nervous I've ever been ... that felt really good. I guess just no pressure," Anderson said after her heat win on Monday afternoon. "For me, I was pretty devastated I didn't make the Challenger to represent our region this year but we had the trials yesterday and I said to a few of the local girls, 'Just how good is this opportunity. You have a one in 12 shot to make a Challenger'. "I kind of carried that into today, just how good is this opportunity. A bit of a different mindset for me this year." Destination NSW funding has helped secure Surfest events this year and next. Surfing a world-ranked event at your home break once a season is special enough. So, home-grown pair Jackson Baker and Ryan Callinan were clearly stoked at the announcement on Monday that Newcastle Surfest contests would bookend the World Surf League's (WSL) second-tier Challenger Series (CS). Baker, Callinan and fellow Merewether surfer Morgan Cibilic are attempting to requalify for the World Championship Tour through the seven-event CS, which began in Newcastle on Monday and returns as the last stop of the 2025-26 series next March. The CS previously comprised five events but the WSL announced on Monday, as Surfest was launched at Merewether, that events at Hawaii's Pipeline (January 28 to February 8, 2026) and in Newcastle (March 8-15, 2026) had been added for this season. The top-10 ranked male surfers and top-seven women, based on competitor's best-five results, earn a spot on the top-tier Championship Tour for 2026. "It's really exciting to finish here," Baker said on Monday. "Mentally, you're still preparing for a five-event series, so those extra two are a bonus. You kind of want to seal it up before Pipe and coming back here, but that's easier said than done. "But to finish here and be standing on the beach here in March and you've made the world tour at your local break would be a dream come true." The 28-year-old's name is etched into Surfest history as its first home-grown men's winner. Baker won the Newcastle title in 2022 when it was a third-tier Qualifying Series event. That year was his first year on the Championship Tour, a place he is determined to get back to. "It was a special day," Baker reflected of the 2022 victory. "Everyone has kind of been bringing it up in the last few weeks, but I'm just reminding myself that coming into this event it doesn't really mean anything now. "Refresh with the Challenger Series. The goal is still the same - to try to win it as a Challenger Series for the first time. "But that was a really special day. I got to share the final with Ryan, and we knew we had a 50 per cent chance that a local would finally win the thing. "It was a beautiful afternoon and the waves were really fun, really good Merewether, kind of similar today, really good conditions." Competition got underway with the men's round-of-80 surfers on Monday. Gold Coast surfer Julian Wilson, who now calls Newcastle home and won Surfest in 2020, won his opening-round heat on Monday. The 36-year-old, who is making a professional comeback after several years out of the competitive limelight, posted a two-wave score of 13.50 points to progress to the next round alongside second-placed Tenshi Iwami (11.27) from Japan. Baker, Cibilic and Callinan hit the water in the next round, likely to start on Wednesday or Thursday depending on conditions. Callinan comes back into the CS for the first time since 2022 after missing the CT's mid-season cut last week. The 33-year-old goofy-footer has had a mixed 2025, missing two of seven CT events, but recently celebrated the birth of his first child - four-week-old daughter Penelope. "It's a big adjustment but I'm loving every second of it. It's a new adventure," Callinan said on Monday. "It's been a bit of a bumpy year competitively for me, missing an event having an injury and then missing another event for the birth of Pene, which I wouldn't change for the world. "But just trying to find the flow and find my feet in the water and what better way to do it than here at home with waves that look so fun." Merewether's Philippa Anderson, who has her own named etched in history as the 2009 Surfest's women's winner, is an event wildcard and looked right at home as she progressed to the next round with a first-up heat win on Monday. The 33-year-old natural-footer took an early heat lead then sealed a winning score of 12.06 points with a 6.33-point ride in the final minutes. Peru's Arena Rodriguez was second (11.90) and also progressed. Newcastle-based South African Sarah Baum placed third (9.83) in the same heat and bowed out of the contest, along with fourth-placed Australian Oceania Rogers (8.36). "That was probably the least nervous I've ever been ... that felt really good. I guess just no pressure," Anderson said after her heat win on Monday afternoon. "For me, I was pretty devastated I didn't make the Challenger to represent our region this year but we had the trials yesterday and I said to a few of the local girls, 'Just how good is this opportunity. You have a one in 12 shot to make a Challenger'. "I kind of carried that into today, just how good is this opportunity. A bit of a different mindset for me this year." Destination NSW funding has helped secure Surfest events this year and next.
The Advertiser
26-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Advertiser
'Fundamentally unfair': Hunter councils banned from issuing ticketless parking fines
The days of controversial ticketless parking fines are quickly coming to an end. From July 1, all councils will be required to provide immediate notice to vehicles involved in parking violations. In recent years, thousands of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie drivers had to wait about 10 days before receiving written advice from Revenue NSW about their alleged violation. In most cases, the opportunity to gather evidence to dispute the infringement had passed. Merewether builder Mark Fricker was among dozens of drivers who had their ticketless parking fines dismissed in court. Mr Fricker made headlines in February when he challenged his $320 fine, issued by a City of Newcastle vehicle fitted with licence plate recognition technology, for parking in a bus zone outside his house while he unlocked a gate. The episode prompted Newcastle councillors to defend the ticketless parking fine scheme, arguing its removal would put parking rangers at psychological and physical risk. However, it was also acknowledged that the system would be fairer if a text was sent when a ticketless fine was issued to allow the penalised driver to collect evidence in their defence. Finance Minister Courtney Houssos said the state government was determined to stamp out ticketless parking fines. "The ticketless parking fine system introduced by the previous government was fundamentally unfair, which is why we've taken strong action," she said. "We've given councils plenty of opportunity to transition to the new system. From July 1 any fines they issue must comply or will be invalidated." Newcastle and Lake Macquarie councils confirmed they would comply with the NSW Fines Amendment (Parking Fines) Act 2024 from July 1. "City of Newcastle (CN) does not currently issue notifications of parking infringements via text message, as we do not have access to mobile phone information for registered owners," a spokeswoman said. "As per a lord mayoral minute at the February 2025 council meeting, City of Newcastle wrote to the NSW government to request the use of text message notification through their current ownership information database. "Our understanding is this process has not been adopted by Revenue NSW." A Lake Macquarie council spokesman said council rangers did not have access to phone numbers associated with vehicles. Therefore text message was not a viable notification alternative. Ticketless parking fines, in particular the practice of automatically referring them to Revenue NSW, also featured in the recently released report into City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures. The Davidson Business Advisory review recommended that the council consider introducing a parking fine review process prior to referring fines to Revenue NSW. "Complaints related to disputed parking fines are referred directly to Revenue NSW, without an internal review of whether the fine was reasonable, or compassionate grounds should be considered in the specific context," the report said. "The review found that CN staff distanced themselves from any responsibility for review of parking infringements by deferring to Revenue NSW for all decisions describing a review function as 'not their role'." The days of controversial ticketless parking fines are quickly coming to an end. From July 1, all councils will be required to provide immediate notice to vehicles involved in parking violations. In recent years, thousands of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie drivers had to wait about 10 days before receiving written advice from Revenue NSW about their alleged violation. In most cases, the opportunity to gather evidence to dispute the infringement had passed. Merewether builder Mark Fricker was among dozens of drivers who had their ticketless parking fines dismissed in court. Mr Fricker made headlines in February when he challenged his $320 fine, issued by a City of Newcastle vehicle fitted with licence plate recognition technology, for parking in a bus zone outside his house while he unlocked a gate. The episode prompted Newcastle councillors to defend the ticketless parking fine scheme, arguing its removal would put parking rangers at psychological and physical risk. However, it was also acknowledged that the system would be fairer if a text was sent when a ticketless fine was issued to allow the penalised driver to collect evidence in their defence. Finance Minister Courtney Houssos said the state government was determined to stamp out ticketless parking fines. "The ticketless parking fine system introduced by the previous government was fundamentally unfair, which is why we've taken strong action," she said. "We've given councils plenty of opportunity to transition to the new system. From July 1 any fines they issue must comply or will be invalidated." Newcastle and Lake Macquarie councils confirmed they would comply with the NSW Fines Amendment (Parking Fines) Act 2024 from July 1. "City of Newcastle (CN) does not currently issue notifications of parking infringements via text message, as we do not have access to mobile phone information for registered owners," a spokeswoman said. "As per a lord mayoral minute at the February 2025 council meeting, City of Newcastle wrote to the NSW government to request the use of text message notification through their current ownership information database. "Our understanding is this process has not been adopted by Revenue NSW." A Lake Macquarie council spokesman said council rangers did not have access to phone numbers associated with vehicles. Therefore text message was not a viable notification alternative. Ticketless parking fines, in particular the practice of automatically referring them to Revenue NSW, also featured in the recently released report into City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures. The Davidson Business Advisory review recommended that the council consider introducing a parking fine review process prior to referring fines to Revenue NSW. "Complaints related to disputed parking fines are referred directly to Revenue NSW, without an internal review of whether the fine was reasonable, or compassionate grounds should be considered in the specific context," the report said. "The review found that CN staff distanced themselves from any responsibility for review of parking infringements by deferring to Revenue NSW for all decisions describing a review function as 'not their role'." The days of controversial ticketless parking fines are quickly coming to an end. From July 1, all councils will be required to provide immediate notice to vehicles involved in parking violations. In recent years, thousands of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie drivers had to wait about 10 days before receiving written advice from Revenue NSW about their alleged violation. In most cases, the opportunity to gather evidence to dispute the infringement had passed. Merewether builder Mark Fricker was among dozens of drivers who had their ticketless parking fines dismissed in court. Mr Fricker made headlines in February when he challenged his $320 fine, issued by a City of Newcastle vehicle fitted with licence plate recognition technology, for parking in a bus zone outside his house while he unlocked a gate. The episode prompted Newcastle councillors to defend the ticketless parking fine scheme, arguing its removal would put parking rangers at psychological and physical risk. However, it was also acknowledged that the system would be fairer if a text was sent when a ticketless fine was issued to allow the penalised driver to collect evidence in their defence. Finance Minister Courtney Houssos said the state government was determined to stamp out ticketless parking fines. "The ticketless parking fine system introduced by the previous government was fundamentally unfair, which is why we've taken strong action," she said. "We've given councils plenty of opportunity to transition to the new system. From July 1 any fines they issue must comply or will be invalidated." Newcastle and Lake Macquarie councils confirmed they would comply with the NSW Fines Amendment (Parking Fines) Act 2024 from July 1. "City of Newcastle (CN) does not currently issue notifications of parking infringements via text message, as we do not have access to mobile phone information for registered owners," a spokeswoman said. "As per a lord mayoral minute at the February 2025 council meeting, City of Newcastle wrote to the NSW government to request the use of text message notification through their current ownership information database. "Our understanding is this process has not been adopted by Revenue NSW." A Lake Macquarie council spokesman said council rangers did not have access to phone numbers associated with vehicles. Therefore text message was not a viable notification alternative. Ticketless parking fines, in particular the practice of automatically referring them to Revenue NSW, also featured in the recently released report into City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures. The Davidson Business Advisory review recommended that the council consider introducing a parking fine review process prior to referring fines to Revenue NSW. "Complaints related to disputed parking fines are referred directly to Revenue NSW, without an internal review of whether the fine was reasonable, or compassionate grounds should be considered in the specific context," the report said. "The review found that CN staff distanced themselves from any responsibility for review of parking infringements by deferring to Revenue NSW for all decisions describing a review function as 'not their role'." The days of controversial ticketless parking fines are quickly coming to an end. From July 1, all councils will be required to provide immediate notice to vehicles involved in parking violations. In recent years, thousands of Newcastle and Lake Macquarie drivers had to wait about 10 days before receiving written advice from Revenue NSW about their alleged violation. In most cases, the opportunity to gather evidence to dispute the infringement had passed. Merewether builder Mark Fricker was among dozens of drivers who had their ticketless parking fines dismissed in court. Mr Fricker made headlines in February when he challenged his $320 fine, issued by a City of Newcastle vehicle fitted with licence plate recognition technology, for parking in a bus zone outside his house while he unlocked a gate. The episode prompted Newcastle councillors to defend the ticketless parking fine scheme, arguing its removal would put parking rangers at psychological and physical risk. However, it was also acknowledged that the system would be fairer if a text was sent when a ticketless fine was issued to allow the penalised driver to collect evidence in their defence. Finance Minister Courtney Houssos said the state government was determined to stamp out ticketless parking fines. "The ticketless parking fine system introduced by the previous government was fundamentally unfair, which is why we've taken strong action," she said. "We've given councils plenty of opportunity to transition to the new system. From July 1 any fines they issue must comply or will be invalidated." Newcastle and Lake Macquarie councils confirmed they would comply with the NSW Fines Amendment (Parking Fines) Act 2024 from July 1. "City of Newcastle (CN) does not currently issue notifications of parking infringements via text message, as we do not have access to mobile phone information for registered owners," a spokeswoman said. "As per a lord mayoral minute at the February 2025 council meeting, City of Newcastle wrote to the NSW government to request the use of text message notification through their current ownership information database. "Our understanding is this process has not been adopted by Revenue NSW." A Lake Macquarie council spokesman said council rangers did not have access to phone numbers associated with vehicles. Therefore text message was not a viable notification alternative. Ticketless parking fines, in particular the practice of automatically referring them to Revenue NSW, also featured in the recently released report into City of Newcastle's policies, processes and procedures. The Davidson Business Advisory review recommended that the council consider introducing a parking fine review process prior to referring fines to Revenue NSW. "Complaints related to disputed parking fines are referred directly to Revenue NSW, without an internal review of whether the fine was reasonable, or compassionate grounds should be considered in the specific context," the report said. "The review found that CN staff distanced themselves from any responsibility for review of parking infringements by deferring to Revenue NSW for all decisions describing a review function as 'not their role'."
