Monthly Archives: November 2015

TOXIC heavy metals have been detected in a stormwater pit next to a new residential subdivision on former Pasminco land at Boolaroo.

Tests confirmed cadmium and zinc – slightly above environmental water quality levels – at the site, believed to be from contaminated groundwater.

An Environment Protection Authority spokeswoman said investigations were under way to determine how to deal with the polluted water. The sediment basin is located on TC Frith Avenue, on land that was gifted to Lake Macquarie City Council and will be converted to a stormwater quality treatment basin. It used to be part of the ‘‘triangle paddock’’ where the 90-lot housing estate is being built by developer Stevens Group, opposite the former Pasminco lead and zinc smelter.

When contacted about the issue, Boolaroo Action Group spokesman Stan Kiaos said he was concerned pollution was still a problem on the site. ‘‘I would really like to know why the community hasn’t been told about this and what they plan to do with the water,’’ he said.

Boolaroo community reference group chairman Greg Piper, the Lake Macquarie MP, said he was unaware of the issue, but would raise it at the group’s meeting next week.

Authorities have been strongly criticised for their handling of the clean-up of the Pasminco site and Mr Kiaos said confusion still reigns. He said authorities were ‘‘passing the buck’’, after the EPA and Lake Macquarie City Council pointed to each other.

An EPA spokeswoman said the land was being subdivided under council planning consent and the stormwater pit was on council land.

‘‘The developer (Stevens Group), Pasminco and council are currently working on options for the disposal of water from the site,’’ she said.

But the council referred questions about the polluted water back to the EPA.

‘‘The water quality in the sediment basin is under investigation by the EPA in consultation with the land developer,’’ a spokeswoman said. When asked about the source of the contamination and what would be done with it, the council spokeswoman referred the question to the EPA.

Stevens Group planning services manager Lin Armstrong said Bunderra was the ‘‘cleanest site’’ in Boolaroo.

She said water from the basin was usually pumped to the Pasminco site and used as dust suppressant. ‘‘The plan is to fill the bottom and cap it with a clay base so it no longer interacts with the groundwater and won’t be an issue,’’ she said.

source:theherald.com.au

As Charlie Sheen’s porn star ex-girlfriend Bree Olson vents her outrage over news that he is HIV-positive, one person who is fighting the former Two And A Half Men star’s corner is Amanda Bruce.

The nurse, who dated the 50-year-old Hollywood actor for around eight months, has revealed that she choose to continue having unprotected sex with him, even after she learned of his health status.

Four years after receiving his diagnosis, Sheen confirmed that he is living with HIV in a candid interview describing at as “a hard three letters to absorb”.
Despite warnings from doctors, Bruce said she wanted to have relations without condoms because she was in love with the star: “I mean, if I had met him on one night, and we had decided to engage in this, I’d say, ‘That’s Russian Roulette,’” she explained during an appearance on The Dr Oz Show.

Bruce added: “’The reality is, we had known each other for many months before we engaged in [sexual relations], and we were a couple − I was in love with him.”

Hours earlier, Olson, real name Rachel Oberlin, gave her own interview, branding him a “monster”.

According to the 29-year-old adult film actress, she and the Anger Management actor often had sex without using condoms after his diagnosis. Sheen’s manager Mark Burg has refuted Olson’s claims.

“We were having sex every single night,” Olson said. “He used this word: ‘I’m clean. I’m clean’ and – I know… but I believed him. It was like playing Russian Roulette. That’s the best way to put it. It was like putting a gun to my head and pulling the trigger each time.”

The actress added: “Charlie, you’re a terrible person. You’re a terrible person. I will never forgive you. There’s nothing that man could say to me. He’s a monster.”

source:au.entertainment.yahoo.com

A web of child sexual abuse in the Newcastle Anglican diocese has alleged links to politicians, business people, doctors and members of the city’s legal fraternity, the ABC understands.

Inquiries into abuse incidents in the diocese are underway by a police strike force and the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse.

Several alleged paedophile rings with links to local schools and children’s homes are also being investigated.
Clearly there are questions to be asked about those relationships and how they operated and how they were protecting each other.

Greg Thompson, Anglican Bishop of Newcastle

Newcastle’s Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson said there were also allegations of Anglican and Catholic clergy protecting each other.

“If your ministry team exists in a small town, they know each other,” he said.

“Then clearly there are questions to be asked about those relationships and how they operated and how they were protecting each other.”

Bishop Thompson said the size of the alleged paedophile network was disturbing.

“I think the culture is not only in the church … it is in the wider community and the relationships that people have with each other from sporting clubs, from professional associations, from going to school,” he said.

“They have held those relationships in such high esteem that they’ve not been prepared to name and own up to the abuse that’s gone on [among] their friends.

“They have been silent and not acted, and now is the time to come forward.

“I think we need to ask the good question of how people were protected, and what were the motivations of people when they heard about abuse from children.”

Some people ‘do not want the culture to change’

In a statement, Bishop Thompson said the church was committed to giving victims ongoing support.

“We are working hard to address the past culture that allowed abuse,” he said.

“We have policies and practices in place to ensure the wellbeing of all who now participate in church activities.”

However, he said some people remained opposed to change within the organisation.

“My own experience, in the past and the present, is that there are people who do not want the culture to change,” he said.

“They seek either to groom people or bully people into silence.”

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has confirmed planning is underway for public hearings to be held in Newcastle in 2016.

In February 2014, it held four days of private hearings in Newcastle, with 32 people coming forward to talk about their experiences.

Newcastle has been at the forefront of the push to expose child sexual abuse, with outspoken former Hunter region police officer Detective Chief Inspector Peter Fox partly credited for pushing the Federal Government into setting up the royal commission.

If this story raises issues or concerns you can contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, the NSW Police on 1800 333 000, or the Diocesan Director of Professional Standards on 1800 774 945.

source:abc.net.au

A heatwave in NSW is expected to push temperatures in Sydney to 41 degrees Celsius on Friday, with 30 national parks across the state’s south being closed due to an increased fire risk.

Even hotter conditions are expected in inland areas, with the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) saying heatwave conditions were being caused by an approaching front and a slow-moving high pressure system over the Tasman Sea.

The conditions are drawing dry and increasingly hot air from central Australia into NSW, the BoM said.

BoM severe weather manager Michael Logan said temperatures were forecast to reach the low 40s across inland NSW and some coastal areas, including Sydney, tomorrow.

“The forecast for Sydney has now been updated to 41C for Friday,” he said.

“It’s a classic scenario of very hot and dry westerly winds with no sea breeze, followed by a blustery southerly change in the evening bringing relief.”

The highest November temperature recorded at Sydney’s Observatory Hill is 41.8C in 1982.

Mr Logan said the heatwave conditions would continue into Saturday in the state’s north-east.

The heatwave is already affecting the Riverina, in the state’s south, where the Rural Fire Service has declared a severe fire risk today.

Conditions have been classified “extreme” in the northern Riverina.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service closed more than a dozen parks, mainly in the south of the state, because of the increased fire risk.

However, Ben Shepherd from the Rural Fire Service said the risk was not likely to reach extreme across the whole state tomorrow.

“The recent rain will keep the fire index low,” he said.

source:abc.net.au

Καταδίκασε τις επιθέσεις στο Παρίσι, αποδίδοντάς τις στο ρατσισμό και την ισλαμοφοβία

Την έντονη αντίδραση παραγόντων από όλο το φάσμα της ευρύτερης αυστραλιανής κοινότητας, προκάλεσαν οι δηλώσεις του μεγάλου μουφτή της Αυστραλίας, Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, με τις οποίες καταδίκασε τις πρόσφατες τρομοκρατικές επιθέσεις στο Παρίσι.

Στην ανακοίνωση που εξέδωσε την Κυριακή, εκ μέρους του Εθνικού Συμβουλίου Ιμάμηδων Αυστραλίας, ο θρησκευτικός ηγέτης της μουσουλμανικής κοινότητας εξέφρασε τη θλίψη του για τις ζωές που χάθηκαν, παράλληλα όμως, στην προσπάθειά του να διατυπώσει ανησυχίες για τους «αιτιακούς παράγοντες» πίσω από τις επιθέσεις, αναφέρθηκε στον ρατσισμό, την ισλαμοφοβία, τα αυξημένα μέτρα ασφαλείας και την επέμβαση της Δύσης στις μουσουλμανικές χώρες.

Συγκεκριμένα, η ανακοίνωση γράφει τα εξής: «Τα πρόσφατα περιστατικά τονίζουν το γεγονός ότι η ακολουθούμενη στρατηγική για την αντιμετώπιση της απειλής της τρομοκρατίας δεν είναι αποτελεσματική. Είναι, επομένως, επιτακτικής σημασίας να αντιμετωπιστούν κατάλληλα όλοι οι αιτιακοί παράγοντες, όπως είναι ο ρατσισμός, η ισλαμοφοβία, ο περιορισμός των ελευθεριών μέσω της επιβολής μέτρων ασφαλείας, η διπροσωπία στην εξωτερική πολιτική και οι στρατιωτικές παρεμβάσεις».

Οι δηλώσεις αυτές προκάλεσαν μία σειρά αντιδράσεων από την πλευρά της Αυστραλιανής κυβέρνησης και μελών του κυβερνώντος κόμματος, κυρίως, αλλά και από εκπροσώπους επιμέρους κοινοτήτων της Αυστραλίας. Εντονότερη από αυτές ήταν η δήλωση του διευθυντή Δημοσίων Υποθέσεων της Σιωνιστικής Ομοσπονδίας Αυστραλίας, Ted Lapkin, ο οποίος χαρακτήρισε ως επονείδιστα τα σχόλια του Μουφτή και τόνισε: «Ο προμελετημένος φόνος αθώων είναι μία πράξη αμείωτης κακίας, η οποία δεν πρέπει ποτέ να μπαίνει σε πλαίσιο, να αιτιολογείται ή να δικαιολογείται. Τελεία. Ο στόχος της πολιτικής της Αυστραλίας στην Μέση Ανατολή είναι η προστασία των αθώων και η καταδίωξη των τυράννων».

Η αναπληρώτρια υπουργός Πολυπολιτισμικών Υποθέσεων, Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, εξέφρασε την απογοήτευσή της για τη δήλωση του μουφτή, λέγοντας ότι θα περίμενε μία πιο κατηγορηματική καταδίκη της βίας. Αναγνωρίζοντας ότι οι παράγοντες που παραθέτει ο Δρ. Mohamed ισχύουν, τόνισε ότι η επαύριος μίας δολοφονικής επίθεσης δεν είναι η κατάλληλη στιγμή για να ανακινηθεί αυτή η συζήτηση. «Αυτήν την συγκεκριμένη στιγμή, πιστεύω ότι είναι σημαντικό να επικεντρωθούμε σε ό,τι συνέβη και να αφήσουμε στην άκρη αυτού του είδους τα αμφιλεγόμενα ζητήματα, ώστε να επικεντρωθούμε, με βεβαιότητα, στην καταδίκη», δήλωσε στο Sky news.

«Η Αυστραλιανή κοινωνία, με όλη της την πολυμορφία, επιθυμεί να ακούσει μία κατηγορηματική καταδίκη».

Την ίδια άποψη εξέφρασε και ο υπουργός Μετανάστευσης, Peter Dutton, λέγοντας ότι τα σχόλια του μουφτή δεν στέλνουν το κατάλληλο μήνυμα στους νεαρούς μουσουλμάνους και τους καλόπιστους ανθρώπους στη χώρα, καθώς δεν διέπονται από ορθή κρίση.

«Μερικοί καλοί άνθρωποι από την ισλαμική κοινότητα καταδίκασαν χωρίς περιστροφές αυτές τις πράξεις βαρβαρότητας»δήλωσε ο υπουργός. «Πιστεύω ότι ο μεγάλος μουφτής θα πρέπει να ακούσει αυτό που έχουν να πουν αυτοί οι μετριοπαθείς ηγέτες, γιατί παραμένουν η ελπίδα μας, αν πρόκειται να πολεμήσουμε αυτήν την λανθασμένη σκέψη μέσα στην κοινότητα».

Ιδιαίτερα έντονη ήταν η αντίδραση του γερουσιαστή του Φιλελεύθερου Κόμματος, Cory Berardi, ο οποίος χαρακτήρισε «ντροπή» τις δηλώσεις του μουφτή, λέγοντας: «Η Δύση δεν ευθύνεται. Ο Μεγάλος Μουφτής πρέπει να συνταχθεί με όλους τους Αυστραλούς στην αντιμετώπιση του εξτρεμισμού και όχι να απολογείται γι’ αυτόν».

Πιο προσεκτικός στις δηλώσεις του, ο υπουργός Βιομηχανίας, Christopher Pyne, τόνισε την ανάγκη να μην μετατραπεί το περιστατικό σε ζήτημα εσωτερικής πολιτικής, καθώς, όπως είπε «είναι πολύ σοβαρό για να το ευτελίσουμε σε ένα ζήτημα του κατά πόσον ο κόσμος είναι ή όχι ικανοποιημένος με τα σχόλια ενός συγκεκριμένου μέλους της μουσουλμανικής κοινότητας».

Στο ίδιο μήκος κύματος, ο θησαυροφύλακας, Scott Morrison, απέφυγε να σχολιάσει τις δηλώσεις, τόνισε, όμως, ότι πολλά άλλα ηγετικά μέλη της μουσουλμανικής κοινότητας φρόντισε να λάβει αποστάσεις: «Είναι ενθαρρυντικό το ότι υπάρχουν πολλοί άλλοι Μουσουλμάνοι στην Αυστραλία σήμερα που είπαν ακριβώς αυτά που ελπίζαμε να πουν και το έκαναν χωρίς να χρειάζεται παραίνεση».

Από την μεριά του, ο πρόεδρος του τζαμιού της Parramatta, Neil El-Kadomi, τόνισε ότι η Ισλαμική κοινότητα της Αυστραλίας καταδικάζει τη βία, και κάλεσε όλα τα μέλη της να προστατεύσουν και να υπερασπιστούν την Αυστραλία. Μιλώντας στην ιστοσελίδα Guardian Australia, εξέφρασε την στενοχώρια του για το γεγονός ότι η μουσουλμανική κοινότητα καλείται να εκδίδει συνεχώς ανακοινώσεις καταδίκης για περιστατικά βίας και τόνισε: «Μάς κατηγορούν για τις πράξεις άλλων».

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Ανώτατα στελέχη του Ισλαμικού Κράτους απειλούν να «αιματοκυλήσουν» και την Αυστραλία ως «αντίποινα» για τη συμμετοχή των αυστραλιανών δυνάμεων στον πόλεμο κατά των τζιχαντιστών στο Ιράκ και τη Συρία.

Σε βίντεο που έδωσαν στη δημοσιότητα φανατικοί τζιχαντιστές, επιχαίρουν για την επιτυχία των τρομοκρατικών επιθέσεών τους στο Παρίσι, που άφησαν δεκάδες νεκρούς και ορκίζονται ότι θα εκδικηθούν όλες τις χώρες που πολεμούν το Ισλαμικό κράτος, ανάμεσά τους και την Αυστραλία.

Την ίδια στιγμή, μετά την αιματοχυσία στο Παρίσι, οι Αρχές έκαναν επιδρομές στη Γαλλία και έχουν συλλάβει 128 υπόπτους.

Συλλήψεις έγιναν, επίσης, στο Βέλγιο (από όπου φαίνεται να προέρχεται ο εγκέφαλος των επιθέσεων), αλλά και στη Γερμανία.

Παράλληλα, καθυστέρησε κατά περίπου 90 λεπτά και αναβλήθηκε, τελικά, το βράδυ της Τρίτης, ο φιλικός αγώνας ποδοσφαίρου μεταξύ των εθνικών ομάδων Γερμανίας και Ολλανδίας, καθώς στο στάδιο HDI-Arena στο Αννόβερο έπειτα από πληροφορίες για βομβιστική επίθεση.

Την ίδια στιγμή, η Γαλλία συνεχίζει να βομβαρδίζει στόχους του Ισλαμικού Κράτους στη Συρία, ενώ στη Σύνοδο των G20 στην Τουρκία, στην ανάγκη για παύση του πυρός στη Συρία και έναρξη διαπραγματεύσεων διαμέσου του ΟΗΕ συμφώνησαν ο Αμερικανός πρόεδρος, Μπαράκ Ομπάμα, και ο Ρώσος ομόλογός του, Βλαντιμίρ Πούτιν.

Οι δύο ηγέτες βρέθηκαν στην Τουρκία για τη Σύνοδο Κορυφής της G20 όπου συμμετείχε και ο Αυστραλός πρωθυπουργός, Μάλκολμ Τέρνμπουλ.

Οι Ομπάμα και Πούτιν συζήτησαν για 35 λεπτά περίπου για την ανάγκη να μπει ένα τέλος στον εμφύλιο της Συρίας και συμφώνησαν ότι η χώρα πρέπει να μπει σε μια περίοδο πολιτικής μετάβασης που θα ορίσουν οι ίδιοι οι Σύροι.

Για να καταστεί αυτό δυνατό, πρέπει να προηγηθεί κατάπαυση του πυρός και έναρξη διαπραγματεύσεων με διαμεσολάβηση εκ μέρους του Οργανισμού Ηνωμένων Εθνών.

Σύμφωνα με την ίδια πηγή, οι δύο ηγέτες συζήτησαν και για την κατάσταση στην Ουκρανία, ενώ ο Μπαράκ Ομπάμα εξέφρασε τα συλλυπητήριά του στον Βλαντιμίρ Πούτιν για τη συντριβή του ρωσικού αεροσκάφους στο Σινά.

Η ΑΥΣΤΡΑΛΙΑ

Στη Μανίλα (όπου διεξάγεται η Σύνοδος Κορυφής του APEC) ο Αυστραλός πρωθυπουργός, Μάλκολμ Τέρνμπουλ, είχε την πρώτη του επίσημη συνάντηση με τον Αμερικανό πρόεδρο, Μπαράκ Ομπάμα. Ο Αυστραλός πρωθυπουργός δεσμεύτηκε, ότι η Καμπέρα θα στηρίξει «μια ενιαία συμμαχία» για να εξολοθρευτεί το Ισλαμικό Κράτος.

Ο Αμερικανός πρόεδρος δεν παρέλειψε να επαινέσει την Αυστραλία για τον «σταθεροποιητικό της ρόλο στο Ιράκ και σε άλλες χώρες».

Πάντως, σύμφωνα με τα όσα μεταδίδουν τα ξένα πρακτορεία, οι ΗΠΑ και Αυστραλία δεν δείχνουν πρόθυμες να στείλουν χερσαίες δυνάμεις στην εύφλεκτη περιοχή «ειδικά μετά το πάθημα των Αμερικανών στο Ιράκ».

Την θέση ότι η Αυστραλία θα στηρίξει μια ενιαία συμμαχία στην αντιμετώπιση του ISIS, μετέφερε ο κ. Τέρνμπουλ και στον Ρώσο πρόεδρο, Βλαντιμίρ Πούτιν, στην κατ’ ιδίαν συνάντησή τους στην Τουρκία.

Καθώς, λοιπόν, η Αυστραλία ετοιμάζεται να «αναβαθμίσει» την εμπλοκή της στον πόλεμο κατά του Ισλαμικού Κράτους, αυξάνεται και ο κίνδυνος να δεχθεί τρομοκρατική επίθεση στο έδαφος της.

Αυτός είναι και ο λόγος που οι αρμόδιες Αρχές λαμβάνουν έξτρα μέτρα ασφαλείας και συσκέπτονται ώστε να πάρουν ακόμα πιο αυστηρά μέτρα.

Η μεγαλύτερη ανησυχία για τους Αυστραλούς είναι οι δεκάδες Αυστραλοί που πολέμησαν με τις δυνάμεις του Ισλαμικού Κράτους και κατόρθωσαν να επιστρέψουν στην Αυστραλία χωρίς να εντοπιστούν.

Υπάρχουν φόβοι ότι κάποιοι απ’ αυτούς θα μπορούσαν να τολμήσουν την οργάνωση τρομοκρατικής επίθεσης.

Πηγή:Νέος Κόσμος

Greece and Turkey must step up cooperation in the fight against smugglers who are transporting hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants to Europe from Turkey through the Greek islands, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Wednesday.

“We need to take more steps towards coordination, understanding in order to effectively hit the smuggling rings which are an insult against human dignity,” Tsipras told a joint press conference in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.

About 650,000 refugees and migrants fleeing war and poverty have reached the European Union through Greece so far this year, risking their lives in overcrowded, flimsy boats. Thousands have drowned.

Speaking on the Cyprus issue, Davutoglu said the two neighbors have a window of opportunity to act on the partition of the Mediterranean island.

“There is a window of opportunity right now over the Cyprus issue. The negotiations are going on. We have a common approach with Greece to contribute positively to the talks,” Davutoglu said.

Cyprus has been split along ethnic lines since a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief, Greek-inspired coup.

Davutoglu added he believed Athens would increase support for Ankara’s bid to join the EU.

Tsipras said Greece views Turkey’s bid to join the bloc “in a positive light” provided certain conditions are met.

source:ekathimerini.com

STRANDED water on a property subject to flooding from Williamtown RAAF Base has concentrations of a known contaminant more than 100 times higher than the accepted health risk limit, tests have shown.
The shock results left property owner Kim-Leeanne King, the daughter of a former base commander, sobbing on Wednesday.

“I thought there would be some level of contaminants, but not that. Not what we got,” Mrs King said. “They build this thing so they’re high and dry and let their waste flow over us. They just do what they want to do.”

The results will increase pressure on the Department of Defence to meet its own policy that the contaminant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) – in fire-fighting foam used extensively on Defence bases for decades – “not be released into the natural environment under any circumstances”.

This follows Defence evidence to a Senate committee in October that contaminated surface water was still “exiting the base”, with a known exit point at Lake Cochran near Mrs King’s property and the adjoining property of her mother, Ruth Facer.

The unlined man-made “lake” was designed to take run-off, including from a part of the base that recorded the highest readings of the contaminant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in May 2012, at more than 1000 times the accepted health risk limit of 0.3 micrograms per litre.

Mrs King’s property recorded a reading of 38.2 micrograms per litre from samples collected by a University of Newcastle wastewater specialist, paid for by Williamtown and Surrounds Residents Action Group, and tested at a recognised laboratory.

On September 3, the NSW government suspended fishing and oyster harvesting, created a contamination zone around the base, and issued warnings about water and food because of elevated PFOS readings outside the Williamtown base.

Mrs King, 48, has lived on the property for 41 years, her husband Colin for 30.

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For the past few years they have battled Defence and the Port Stephens Council over run-off that has reached thigh height during extreme weather events.

“We have surface water from the base across our property for nine months of the year,” Mrs King said.

“Up until a couple of years ago we used to grow vegetables, but the land isn’t the same now because the surface water is so bad.”

As well as an extremely high PFOS reading, the stranded water on her property has also recorded elevated hydrocarbon levels due to its position beneath the base flight path.

“Mum is just devastated. The drain from the base runs through both properties. Lake Cochran is about 200 metres behind mum’s boundary.

“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I have a referral to get a blood test but I don’t want to do it now because I’m frightened of what they might tell me.”

University of Newcastle wastewater specialist Dr Steven Lucas said the RAAF base needed a comprehensive water management plan so that water from the site was contained and managed on the site.

“They’re going to have to come up with a plan for zero discharge from that site, and that’s going to cost them.”

At a parliamentary public works committee hearing in July considering a $274 million redevelopment of the Williamtown base, former commander John Donahoo said drainage beyond the base was a serious issue and Defence needed to pay for any additional infrastructure required and the maintenance of existing drains. Defence said maintaining drains was “a matter for Port Stephens Council”.

Defence did not respond to questions.

source:theherald.com.au

NEWCASTLE’S historic Victoria Theatre will likely be restored and revived as a grand entertainment hub after selling pre-auction to the Sydney-based Century Venues group.

The heritage-listed building was due to go to auction on Thursday, but veteran hotelier and building owner Arthur Laundy accepted an offer and exchanged contracts late on Wednesday.

The sale price has not been disclosed, but it was considerably higher than the auction’s $1 reserve and believed to be less than the $1.1 million Mr Laundy paid for it back in 2004.

Century Venues is well known in theatre circles, operating the Enmore Theatre and The Metro in Sydney, The Factory at Marrickville, The Comedy Store at Moore Park and The Vanguard at Newtown, among others.

Company boss Greg Khoury was unavailable for comment late Wednesday, but told the Newcastle Herald last week that he wanted to see the Newcastle theatre restored to its former glory.

‘‘It is a building of profound importance,’’ Mr Khoury, who inspected the building last week, said. ‘‘It is a similar scale and size to the Princess Theatre in Melbourne and would complement the Civic Theatre.’’

Built in 1890 in Perkins Street, opposite the historic David Jones building, ‘The Vic’ theatre has sat empty and boarded up since 1999. Mr Laundy’s hotel group, which also owned the neighbouring Crown and Anchor Hotel, had plans for the site but Mr Laundy recently decided to sell his Newcastle landholdings.

The last curtain was drawn on a performance at the theatre in 1966, but not before the stage had been graced by some of the country’s biggest theatrical legends including June Bronhill, Joan Hammond and Lily Langtry.

Before the sale, Mr Laundy said he saw the $1 reserve as a ‘‘philanthropic move’’ which he hoped would attract someone with enough money to restore the building to its former grandeur.

Colliers International, which handled the sale, also ‘‘donated’’ the sale marketing campaign. Agent Adam Leacy, who originally sold the building to Mr Laundy in 2004, confirmed that contracts had been exchanged.

‘‘We had some really good groups show interest in the property, but Century Venues really stood out,’’ he said.

‘‘I know that everyone, including Mr Laundy and us at Colliers, wanted a really good outcome on this sale and I think we’ve got it. It’s a great old building and I think it’s got a great future.’’

Mr Khoury told the Herald he believed the theatre could play a key role in the city’s revitalisation.

‘‘Theatres are great catalysts for urban renewal he said.

‘‘You just have to look at the Phantom (of the opera) led recover that occurred at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne.

He added that Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, which he took on in the 1980s was now part of the city’s cultural landscape.

‘‘It’s been a long, slow slog, but it is now worth about $23 million in additional elective spending per year,’’ he said.

News of the sale and possible restoration will excite many in Newcastle’s theatre and entertainment industries.

One group, a collaboration of people within the city’s entertainment industry, had rallied in the hope of acquiring the theatre. Shane Bransdon, a spokesman for the Revive The Victoria Theatre Newcastle group took to Facebook to say he was ‘‘very pleased that the new owners have a track record of restoring old theatres and operating them as live performance venues’’. He said he hoped the group would be able ‘‘to share our research and be involved’’ in the theatre’s future.

The Victoria Theatre company first operated in Newcastle in 1870 before moving into the building in 1890. In its heyday, it rivalled the best theatres in Sydney and attracted huge crowds with seating for 1340 people. The theatre itself is now the oldest theatre still standing in Australia.

source:theherald.com.au