April 2021 No images? Click here Have you been to Joslin Street, Kotara lately? Or Llewellyn Street in Merewether? We're giving suburban centres a facelift and these two are the most recently completed. The $2.4 million upgrade in Kotara includes a welcoming new public space, replacement of drainage infrastructure, footpaths and road surfaces, new street furniture and planting, plus pedestrian safety improvements. In Merewether the $2 million project was finished ahead of schedule and to budget, resulting in a safe and attractive space for the community to shop and enjoy. Work's begun on a $3.3 million upgrade for Stockton's Mitchell Street including new footpaths, landscaping, street furniture, increased shade and improved pedestrian and cyclist safety. This upgrade is one of 26 projects valued at more than $17 million delivered in Stockton over the past five years, including coastal protection works and the much-loved Stockton Active Hub. The City’s Local Centres program has previously completed upgrades at Carrington and Beresfield with projects due for delivery at Shortland and James Street Plaza, Hamilton later this year. While all this work is taking place we're also making time for some fun. Throughout March we celebrated disability inclusion at the Count Us In festival with thirty events and activities held across the city. Delivered in partnership with local businesses and community groups it highlighted the benefits of disability inclusion for the whole community. We also approved a first-of-its-kind tourism plan to reposition Newcastle as a premier destination. Focusing on events, natural assets and cultural heritage, the Newcastle Destination Management Plan was developed in partnership with tourism industry partners. Are you ready for an action-packed April? It kicks off with the world’s highest ranked surfers taking to the waves at Merewether Beach for the Australian leg of the World Surf League’s Championship Tour, across an 11-day period from 1 April. The fun continues all month long with Sailfest, Newcastle Food Month, Women's University Rugby 7's, NewRun and Pixar Putt in Wheeler Place and more. Keep up to date at newcastle.nsw.gov.au/whatson These Autumn School Holidays our cultural attractions have plenty on offer to keep the little ones entertained and out of mischief! Kids are invited to unleash their imaginations at a range of exciting events and workshops across the city that will have them thinking like never before. Whether it’s writing the adventure of a lifetime, inspiring a passion for poetry, or joining in on fascinating science experiments, there's something to stimulate the minds of curious kids of all ages. Newcastle and Wallsend Library branches will be a hive of activity with ‘how to’ workshops on just about everything, while the Digital Library will have plenty to offer for those interested in unique interactive technology. Over at Newcastle Museum, get inventive at our Science Busking workshops or let your imagination run wild in our beginners Poetry Workshop where attendees will use the Museum’s 1X4 exhibition as inspiration for writing. Budding artists will love what’s on offer at Newcastle Art Gallery. Indulge in your love of food and art in the Illustrating Food Workshops, or get hands-on in local Aboriginal artist-led bracelet weaving and dilly bag making workshops. If the whole family is keen to get involved, come along to Tastes of the Bush, a Gallery-wide, family-friendly, celebration of Aboriginal art, food and culture. As the temperature starts to cool, Autumn is also the perfect time to enjoy outdoor adventures. Explore Blackbutt Reserve and feed the friendly critters, or enjoy a picnic with a view and a bit of history at Fort Scratchley. While you’re out and about drop into our Visitor Information Centre to find more things to do in and around our great city. You can start planning your holidays now with a range of free and bookable options from City of Newcastle’s cultural facilities. In safe handsBush fires, floods, big storms and other disasters can be frightening but they're part of life for the City's Emergency Management Coordinator, Leanne Bell. A longtime local, Leanne has lived in the Hunter Valley for 25 years. Before joining the City, in August 2020, she was with NSW Rural Fire Service as an Operational Officer and over the years has serviced communities in Singleton, Muswellbrook, Cessnock, Dungog, Maitland and Port Stephens. Plus she's been a volunteer firefighter with the Wollombi Brigade for over 20 years. Leanne's role with the City is to lead the organisation in Emergency Management and guide us to become a leader in this emerging field. The recent wet weather was her first experience of managing an emergency situation for the City and while Newcastle wasn't as impacted as significantly as our neighbours, it was still a busy time. "I led the organisation in taking a coordinated approach to this severe weather event. It involved collating and sharing information, working with others in a collaborative space and creating situational awareness of what was happening, what could happen and what needed to be done. The City has an amazing team that is well-rehearsed and practised in responding to weather events like the one we have just experienced. It made me very proud to be a part of this organisation." In an emergency refer to our website at newcastle.nsw.gov.au for up-to-date disaster information. You can also sign up to our free Flood Alert service. Have your say on Our Budget 2021/22Investment in city wide services is a key priority in Our Budget 2021-2022. It outlines upgrades to a range of projects from Newcastle Ocean Baths, Foreshore Park, an active hub in Wallsend, to new playgrounds, sportsground amenities, fenced off leash dog areas and continued work on our local centre renewal program. View what’s planned and tell us what you think by Friday 23 April 2021. Ducks are not the only ones that love the rain. Potholes do too.With the steady rain we have received in recent weeks the number of potholes has increased and our dedicated roads team are out and about fixing them. If you see a pothole please phone our Customer Service team on 4974 2000 to log a request and we will attend to it as soon as possible. My Home by @jackson_coxcbp Thanks for sharing this stunning image with us Jackson. Great caption too! TAG US on Instagram @ citynewcastle.au to have your next great pic featured. 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