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Election candidate profi les p.4-5, 8

WED 25 MAR 2015

Hospital questions remain

T he future of Maitland Hospital remains uncertain after Premier Mike Baird failed to rule out selling the facility to help pay for a new hospital at Metford. Mr Baird was quizzed about a potential sale of

the site while visiting John Hunter Hospital last week and told the media that the Government has no outcomes in relation to what we [the Govern-ment] do with that site.

What we will be doing is making sure that we consult with the community, he said.

That space is a new opportunity for the community and we want input from them on how that should be used.

Mr Baird said there was potential for the site to be utilised for aged care.

Health Minister Jillian Skinner said acute services would be moved to the new hospital but there was a possibility sub-acute or rehabilitation services would continue at the existing hospital site.

Labor candidate for Maitland Jenny Aitchison said a Labor government would retain the existing Maitland facility, while going ahead with plans to build a new hospital at Metford.

On February 4, 2015, the Liberals admitted for the first time that they were closing Maitland Hospital after promising on Hunter television to keep it open, she said.

Maitlands population is projected to grow by

Premiers visit to the Hunter fails to provide plan on future of Maitland site

Maitland Hospital

AMELIA PARROTT @amelia_parrott

25,000 over the next 15 years and the Liberals and Nationals are planning to close a public hospital and replace it with a private one.

It just doesnt make sense, especially when Labor spent $10 million on upgrading the emer-gency department just before the last election.

If elected in March Labor can guarantee that the new Lower Hunter-Maitland hospital at Metford will be publicly owned and operated.

We will also continue to offer public health services at the existing Maitland Hospital site.

Story continues on p. 3

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Editor's Desk paul.monforte@newcastlepost.com.au

The time for talk and endless promises is almost overThe funding promises have been coming thick and fast ahead of Saturdays election and now its up to the voters to decide what to make of it all.

As with all elections, there were a lot of me too type announcements - one party would announce a block of funding for roads, for instance, and the other would vow to match it while adding a couple of little sweeteners to make their proposal more attractive.

The general consensus amongst political experts seems to be that the Coalition will win, but this time with a substantially-reduced margin.

Given the dramas with ICAC last year, Im sure Mike Baird would be expecting that to happen and will be happy just to get another term in office regardless of the majority.

Theres also the issue of whether Tony Abbotts apparent unpopularity at a federal level will impact on Mr Baird.

I think there may be some voters who lump state and federal politics together when decid-ing who to support but I believe the majority are intelligent enough to realise there are substantial differences.

On Labors side, Luke Foley has done quite well in his limited time as Opposition Leader.

He comes across as a calm, organised politi-cian and has given the party some stability and

consistency after the unexpected departure of John Robertson.

Perhaps the election has come around too soon for him to make himself well known enough and trusted amongst the community.

Great to see that the Matautia brothers Chanel, Pat and Sione will be remaining with the Knights after signing new three-year deals last week.

It does make a mockery though of the rules surrounding negotiations with the brothers having signed letters of intent six months ago to switch to the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The letters of intent dont actually bind anyone to the agreement - his current club has until round 13 in the next season to convince a player to stay with them.

It creates uncertainty all around.The Bulldogs did well to get the brothers

to agree to join them and should be able to reasonably expect that they will end up with them in their colours.

Of course, they would certainly have been aware of the risks of dealing with letters of intent and Im sure they have a back-up plan of other players to approach.

But there needs to be a better system, whereby one minute players are agreeing to join a club then changing their minds months later.

Nowits up to the voters to decide

PAUL MONFORTE

the hunter post

www.thehunterpost.com.au www.facebook.com/newcastlepost

19 Pearson St, Charlestown NSW 2290PO Box 2321 Dangar, NSW 2309P (02) 4961 0310

Editorial: editorial@newcastlepost.com.au

Advertising: enquiries@newcastlepost.com.au

Printed by: Spotpress Pty Ltd

Editor: Paul Monforte Journalists: Stephen Bisset (TE), Amelia Parrott Sales Manager: Rhonda Campbell

Sales: Glenda Peate, Gary Scott (Trades), Dan Hawkins (TE), Alison Hislop (Hunter), Jo Jones (Hunter), Michael Cleary

Administration: Lauren Pollard

University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute cancer researcher, Dr Nikki Verrills is calling on the community to support her efforts in raising funds for the Cancer Council NSW.

Dr Verrills will host a cocktail evening at De Iuliis Wines, 1616 Broke Road, Pokolbin on Friday, April 10 at 7pm.

Tickets are $90 and include food from Two Fat Blokes restaurant, wine from De Iuliis as well as beer. Bookings can be made at www.trybooking.com.au/126457.

More information on the evening can be obtained from Dr Verrills at nikki.verrills@newcastle.edu.au

Cancer research fundraiser

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Hospital questions

Networking event

Story continued from p. 1

But Liberal candidate Steve Thomson said splitting acute health services across the city did not make sense.

It is ludicrous to keep an emergency department on the other side of the city because what happens when somebody has to be transferred out of emergency?

Do we put them in an ambulance and bring them to Metford?

All of the acute care services will be on this site as the Minister said and we may use the other site for something else but it is mad to spilt those acute care services up.

The new Maitland Hospital will be six times bigger than the existing site and include an expanded emergency depart-ment, additional inpatient beds, cancer services and improved mental health services.

The project is expected to cost in exces-sive of $400 million.

Early remediation works have already begun on the site and $25 million has been committed under the Hunter Infra-structure and Investment Fund to begin construction under a re-elected Baird Governments next term.

The Maitland Branch of Business & Professional Women will hold their next networking event on Tuesday, March 31 at the Blackbird Caf and Artisan Bakery at Maitland Goal starting at 6.30pm.

To RSVP, call Pam Menzies on 0432 652 836 or email bpwmaitland@gmail.com

L abor will establish a Hunter Trans-port Authority if it is successful in this Saturdays election. Deputy Labor Leader Linda Burney

visited Adamstown last Friday to make the commitment, one that she said was long overdue.

The Sydney-centric approach from Mike Baird and Gladys Berejiklian has delivered a terrible transport result for Newcastle and the wider Hunter and this region is not getting the attention it deserves, she said.

Labor will ensure that planning decisions regarding Hunter transport are made right here in the Hunter and especially sensitive to the people directly affected by them.

The authority will be responsible for coor-dinating timetables and ensuring efficient interchanges between public transport modes, and will report to the Minister for the Hunter on the performance of public transport across the region.

It is an idea that has enjoyed support from local councils, the business commu-nity as well as representatives from both sides of the political divide.

Labor candidate for Swansea Yasmin

Catley said the announcement was particularly good news for commuters in her area.

The biggest issue we have is connec-tivity, she said.

It takes two buses to get from Valen-tine to Charlestown - you have to go via Warners Bay.

The electorate of Swansea will benefit most significantly, I think, from this announcement.

Liberal candidate for Newcastle Karen Howard said while the idea merit, she

was more concerned about delivering transport infrastructure.

My priority is ensuring that transport projects like the light rail are delivered by the government, she said. If elected I will happily work with Mike Baird and his team to ensure that we have the best arrangements in place to deliver the regions transport infrastructure needs.

A Hunter Transport Authority is an idea that has merit, but my priority is ensuring transport projects like the light rail are delivered by the government.

A Labor victory on Saturday will see local transport authority developed

State election

Keeping key decisions in the Hunter

Deputy Labor Leader Linda Burney, Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison, Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp, Labor candidate for Swansea Yasmin Catley and Wallsend MP and Shadow Minister for the Hunter Sonia Hornery at Adamstown Station

AMELIA PARROTT @amelia_parrott

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Philip PenfoldINDEPENDENT

I am a 43-year-old, married father

of two, JP and former building society manager. I founded a local charity and formerly owned and operated a small business for a over a decade. I was born and raised in Maitland and have been a city councillor for the past six years.

My key issues include retaining the existing emergency depart-ment at Maitland Hospital, constructing new schools in our growing city, and retaining the rail line into Newcastle.

I appreciate the need for the government to improve our finan-cial outlook, though believe the recent increase to TAFE fees are a step too far.

With my experiences in local government, I understand the growing pains of his city and seek a greater commitment to roads

and easing traffic congestion in Maitland.

I am concerned that people may have forgotten what I describe as the recent 16 years of Labor mismanagement and be hood-winked into returning them into government. I treasure my independence and though I urge people to allocate preferences, I am not recommending one party over the other in this election.

Steve ThomsonLIBERAL

I am a local businessman and father of three, who is passionate about Maitland and its future. I am the former President of the Maitland Business Chamber, Vice President of Maitland Junior Rugby Union, a Director of disability services provider Endeavour Group and was elected to the Hunter Business Chamber board to represent smaller

Chambers of Commerce in the Hunter Valley.

Prior to a 20-year career in finan-cial services in Sydney, I grew up in western NSW and attended an agricultural high school. I met my wife Kerri, a Merewether girl, whilst working in Sydney and we decided to raise our kids in Maitland.

If elected, my priorities are to continue to deliver on the promises already made to Maitland, such as the new hospital, upgrades to the New England Highway and local schools; to make sure that new infra-structure keeps pace with the citys growth; and work across all levels of government to find solutions to the unemployment crisis facing the city, particularly its youth.

John BrownGREENS

I grew up with politics. It was the major talking point

around the dinner table. I was brought up to believe in social justice, caring for our environment and honesty in politics.

Thats why I joined The Greens. My wife Sue and I have lived in Maitland for 30 years.

We have one daughter and three granddaughters.

My late father Bob and grand-father John were mayors of Cess-nock, where I was born, for a total of 23 years between them.

I am currently a freelance jour-nalist.

I previously worked in news-papers including the Maitland Mercury (chief sub-editor and sports editor) and 26 years at the Newcastle Herald (former sports editor and deputised many times as chief sub-editor and features editor.

My hobbies include long-distance running where I have completed about 14 marathons around the world including London, Venice, China, and lastly the authentic - Athens. I took up running after suffering many years with depres-sion/anxiety.

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Maitland candidateshave their say

The evolution of the Post begins soonThe Post will soon be evolving into a

high-gloss weekly lifestyle magazine bringing readers throughout the Hunter region the best of food, wine, fashion, entertainment as well as the latest community and major events.

There will be a number of feature stories each week highlighting local people and businesses.

The magazine will be available in hundreds of locations across Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland. Cessnock and Port Stephens, including shopping centres, service stations, newsagents and real estate agencies.

The Port Stephens area represents an expansion area for the Post.

Post editor Paul Monforte said the

change represented an exciting time and he was looking forward to continuing to uphold the strong reputation the Post had built up over many years.

The expansion into Port Stephens gives us coverage right across the Hunter from Nelson Bay in the north down to Swansea and Morisset in the south and out west to the vineyards, Mr Monforte said.

The magazine will be available each Wednesday as is currently the case with the newspaper.

The first edition of the magazine will be Wednesday, April 15.

The newspaper will be printed as normal on both Wednesday, April 1 and Wednesday, April 8.

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The major issues for the people of Maitland to consider at this election remain public transport, health and education as well as their political representation.

I will seek urgent funding for Mait-land Hospital where our dedicated medical staff are under enormous pressure to keep up standards as the citys population grows.

We also want to keep the planned new hospital at Metford in public hands.

We are totally opposed to privatisa-tion of the poles and wires must stop the exploration of coal seam gas.

We need to reinstate the rail line into Newcastle and improve our public transport.

AnnaBalfourCHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY

I am a community nurse who is passionate about politics, recognizing that the political arena is the hub of decision-making for the direction of our societys future.

My vision for Maitland is to see a thriving centre in the heart of the Hunter Valley, with services and facili-ties that provide an excellent standard of living for all residents of our beauti-ful city.

I am fervently committed to saving Maitland Hospital for the ongoing provision of acute care to the wider Maitland areas rapidly growing popu-

lation - especially in Maitlands West-ern, Northern and Southern suburbs - for whose residents travelling out to Metford could mean the difference between life and death.

I will also fight to retain the railway line from Maitland into Newcastle station.

I will promote: Safe and well-maintained roads; Care for our environment; Honesty and transparency in

government; Protecting communities.With strong family values, I am firmly

committed to ensuring that the next generation of young people grow up with a foundation of respect, respon-sibility and solid values to promote a healthy and happy future for all Australians.

I am strongly committed to work-ing hard for the well-being of all my constituents throughout the Maitland electorate.

JennyAitchisonLABOR

I am a small business owner from Maitland and mother of two teenage children, Josh and Jess.

I run an award-winning local travel company which employs over 25 people.

I have been involved in a number of community and industry associations

and was also the Foundation President of the Womens Network Hunter which I helped establish in 2005.

If elected, myself and a Labor government will:

Reinstate the rail line back into Newcastle

Rescue TAFE Ensure the new Lower

Hunter Hospital is publicly funded

Keep the existing Maitland hospital open when the new hospital opens

Deliver a new primary school in the west of Maitland

Deliver a new high school for Maitland

Deliver new lights and upgrade the transformers for

the Maitland Rugby Club home ground Marcellin Park

Upgrade the grounds of the Maitland Tenambit BMX club

I see privatisation of the electricity network, jobs and infrastructure for the growing city of Maitland as key issues in this election.

For more about Labors poli-cies go to http://act.nswlabor.org.au/policy

Tania EspositoNO LAND TAX

The Post made repeated attempts to contact the No Land Tax Party for this article but no response was received before deadline.

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C ouncil will again be celebrating Earth Hour this year by switch-ing off all unnecessary lighting between 8.30pm and 9.30pm on Satur-day, March 28.

I encourage everyone to take part by spending an hour in the dark and join millions of people around the world taking action on climate change.

From humble beginnings Earth Hours story has taken an incredible journey and it is now the worlds largest mass participation event.

The inaugural Earth Hour was held in Sydney in 2007 with more than two million people participating.

In 2014, seven years later, the event saw hundreds of millions of people partici-pate, in more than 160 countries across 7,000 cities.

The campaign however is more than people switching off the lights, it brings communities together, helps motivate individuals to take action, and intercon-nects people and communities across the globe.

Remember to play your part by switch-ing off your light this Saturday night at 8.30pm.

Find out more about Earth Hour by visiting earthhour.org

Each year Steamfest continues to be one of our communitys most favoured events. Its a celebration of steam that attracts visi-tors from all over the country to our city and will again be held at the Maitland Rail-way Station and Rally Ground on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April.

Tickets are on sale now with many of the tickets for train excursions selling quickly.

Most of the favourites will return this year including the Great Train Race, Barrington Bullet and Branxton trips.

New to this years program is the Port Waratah Coal Run, which takes visitors through Broadmeadow, Morandoo and into Port Waratah before heading back to Maitland.

The weekend will also see the return of market stalls, kids adventure land and a full schedule of activities on the Rally Ground. It is always a fun event and there will be something for everyone. I hope I see you there.

For more information about train excursions and to book your tickets visit steamfest.com.au

Show your support for Earth Hour this Saturday

maitland mattersCR PETER BLACKMORE Maitland City Council Mayor

all council matters: maitland.nsw.gov.au

I was lucky enough to have attended some of the Seniors Week activities and events last week across the Cess-nock local government area.

Some highlights for me were the Senior Citizens Choir Concert at Cessnock Performing Arts Centre, Kurri Kurri and Cessnock Mens Shed open days, an international flavour with conversational French classes and the morning picnic at Brunkerville - there really was something on offer for everyone.

Id like to particularly thank our volun-teer organising committee, who worked tirelessly to ensure the program ran smoothly and that transport and other logistics were arranged.

Our successful short-listed candidates for the 2015 Mayoral Scholarships have been interviewed and Im looking forward to announcing the winners on Tuesday 21 April at the Cessnock Performing Arts Centre.

All of our interview panels commented on the high calibre of our candidates and the diversity across different academic areas.

I wish all of the candidates the very best of luck and I encourage those unsuccessful

to keep applying for future scholarships throughout the course of their studies.

An exhibition of Hunter Valley-inspired paintings of Dorothe and Michle Heibel was officially opened by the Deputy Consul General for Switzer-land, Mr Eros Robbiani and is currently on exhibition at Cessnock Regional Art Gallery.

I can hardly believe weve had three Consul Generals visit the area in just three months! The Japanese, US and Swiss Consul Generals have all visited us in differing capacities and its been a great pleasure to host them.

To see the profile of our beautiful area growing on the international stage is magnificent and I dont doubt there will be many more visits of this nature in the coming months and years once the word spreads about what our beautiful region can offer our international guests.

You may have noticed some slight changes to our website recently as part of a minor upgrade. Weve also added some more detailed information on your Cessnock City Councillors. You can check out their profiles at www.cessnock.nsw.gov.au/council/councillors

Plenty of highlights in a successful Seniors Week

cessnock mattersCR BOB PYNSENT Cessnock City Council Mayor

all council matters: cessnock.nsw.gov.au

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David Evans General Manager 285287 High Street, PO Box 220 Maitland NSW 2320t 02 4934 9700 info@maitland.nsw.gov.au

Agendas are available from our website or by contacting customer service. For information on development applications please visit our website maitland.nsw.gov.au

PUBLIC NOTICE2015/16 MAITLAND LOCAL HERITAGE FUNDApplications can now be made for grant assistance under the 2015/16 Maitland Local Heritage Fund. Small grants of $500 to $1,000 are available for conservation works to commercial, residential or other places of heritage value within the Maitland Local Government Area. All grants are given on a dollar for dollar basis.Applications can be picked up from Maitland Councils Customer Service Counter, posted on request by calling 4934 9700, or accessed on Councils website maitland.nsw.gov.au/Heritage/HeritageGrantTwo quotes for all works proposed are required, and applications must be submitted to Maitland City Council by 13 April 2015.

For more information please contact Clare James, &RXQFLOV+HULWDJH2FHURQ

PUBLIC EXHIBITIONDRAFT REGULATION AND COMPLIANCE POLICYThe draft Regulation and Compliance Policy seeks to ensure that compliance functions and UHVRXUFHVDUHIRFXVHGRQPDWWHUVRIVLJQLFDQFHbased on risk analysis. The implementation of this policy will provide a framework for a consistent approach to regulatory compliance by Council in its role as a regulatory authority.The draft Regulation and Compliance Policy will be placed on public exhibition from Wednesday, 25 March 2015 at Councils Customer Service Centre, Administration Building, High Street, Maitland during normal working hours. The draft policy will also be exhibited on Councils website

maitland.nsw.gov.au during the exhibition period. Exhibition concludes on Wednesday, 6 May 2015.Persons wishing to comment on the draft Regulation and Compliance Policy should do so by 5.00pm on Tuesday, 12 May 2015 by sending their submission to: The General Manager, Maitland City Council, PO Box 220, Maitland NSW 2320 or by email to info@maitland.nsw.gov.auFurther enquiries should be directed to Alison Lawrence on 4934 9700.

Interested residents are welcome to attend.Next meeting: 14 | 28 APRIL 5.30pm

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Julie JohnsonCHRISTIANDEMOCRATIC PARTY

I am proudly representing the CDP for the seat of Cessnock. I have called the Hunter Valley her home for nearly 17 years. I am married to a local tradesman and a fulltime mum to our three young children and part-time sports massage therapist.

I am extremely concerned about the unemployment issues facing the Cessnock electorate and would like to bring about reform to the work-for-the-dole scheme. I am also passionate about providing education and ongoing support for our teenage mothers. I would like to see a lot more schools catering for young mothers and their children. I am concerned about the escalating domestic violence, and strongly approves keeping womens refuges for the continued protection and support for women and their chil-dren.

I would also like to provide better education and face-to-face counsel-ling to combat the obesity epidemic. I am also passionate about income splitting for single income families. I would like to see immediate reveg-etation for discontinued open cut mines.

I am a staunch advocate for family values and a vote for me is a vote for family, health and community.

Jessica Price-PurnellTHENATIONALS

My vision for the Cessnock electorate is a simple one. I want governments at all levels to start treating Cessnock with the respect it deserves. For too long, the needs

of the people of this electorate have been ignored in favour of the needs of other areas. If elected on the 28th March, I will be able to give the people of the electorate a seat at the table of government. By being a part of the team led by Mike Baird and Troy Grant, I will be able to ensure that Cessnock is not left behind.

By being part of a re-elected coali-tion government, I will be able to put the needs of Cessnock at the top of the agenda, where it belongs.

I want Cessnock to be the jewel in the crown of the Hunter. By improving the infrastructure, revi-talizing the local economy, engag-ing children in their education and by creating jobs, I hope that I, if elected can achieve that.

Lindy WilliamsGREENS

I am honoured to be the Greens candidate for Cessnock. I am a mum with three children. Our family have been living in Wollombi for the past 12 years. I trained as an Occupational Therapist and worked in Psychiatry and Community Mental Health for more than 10 years.

Last year I experienced the closure of our small rural school. This short-sighted decision touched me personally and very deeply. Throughout this time I have been supported by the Greens and felt it was an appropriate time to stand with, and for, the community.

I feel very grateful for the envi-ronment in which my children are being raised. The bush, fresh air and open space and the challenges to our life when the river floods.

My main focus in this campaign

is to fight cuts in education and to protect services in small communities. I want our TAFE and hospital systems to be fully funded, protected and to stay in public hands.

Clayton BarrLABOR

There is no doubt that the future of the communities that make up the Cessnock Electorate will be based on education and aspiration. Unfortunately, the area has the States lowest levels of education and any person seeking to repre-sent this region must know this, embrace this and plan to turn this around. This will be all but impos-sible with $Billions taken out of education by State and Federal Liberal/National Governments. For a start, you cant rip down our great TAFE system, smash it to pieces

and then have the hide to say we need lifters not leaners.

Meanwhile, you cant sell off the States Poles & Wires and have hundreds of Hunter workers sacked, stop taking on apprentices and set us on a course of more power outages because the main-tenance fund is tucked away as profit (probably to be sent offshore to an international owner). Did you know that in South Australia, $421 from every household, every year, goes off to the Singapore based owner as a profit from the electricity business he now owns? And in the privatised Canadian electricity market, communities went three months without power after maintenance was cut. On March 28, we can all say NO! to this.

Domenic LopreiatoNO LAND TAX

The Post made repeated attempts to contact the No Land Tax Party for this article but no response was received before deadline.

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Cessnock candidateshave their say

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Jump into some fun

Bounce into these school holidays at Flip Out Thornton Trampoline Arena.

Trampolines and trampolining has definitely evolved since the good old days jumping on the patchy mat out in the backyard with the rusty springs.

Newly opened at 3 Hartley Drive Thornton and featuring 73 springtastic trampolines, Flip Out Thornton is the ideal place to take the kids this Easter School holidays to burn off some of that chocolate high.

For only $10 for half an hour or $14 per hour per participants (plus $3.50 grip socks) you would be hard-pressed to find other entertainment that good for that price.

Parents are welcome to watch their kids from our seated area at no cost.

As a parent myself I wanted to open something which would get the kids away from all the electronics they are consumed by these days and give them

something healthy to do in a safe and fun environment, franchisee Kylye Baker said.

We have been overwhelmed by the local support and already have loads of fantastic regular clients.

Our clients are finding trampolining is a fantastic way to get fit when you dont even know you are doing fitness.

Next term we are hoping to have our Little Ninja Classes commencing for the young ones and the fitness and agility for the young at heart, these classes will combine fun and fitness and aim at working on core strength and for the littlies, co-ordination and gross motor skills.

Flip Out Thornton is open Sunday to Thursday 10am to 10pm, Friday and Saturday 10am to 11pm and will be open all Easter weekend.

Bookings are highly recommended during the school holidays via www.flipout.net.au.

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B abies in the Hunter will be among those to benefit from a re-elected Liberal Government, with Premier Mike Baird and Health Minister Jillian Skinner committing $18 million to complete the upgrade of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at John Hunter Childrens Hospital.

The investment, to be made through the Hunter Infrastructure and Invest-ment Fund, would boost the units capacity from 42 to 53 cots.

Mrs Skinner said demand for neonatal intensive care services was increasing.

John Hunter Childrens Hospital is the primary referral facility for more than 20 per cent of the states children and young people, she said.

Demand for these services has risen almost 20 per cent in the past 10 years, which is why it is vital these intensive care units are upgraded to meet patient demand and provide parents with a supportive, comfortable setting to be with their children.

The upgrade will add 11 special care and neonatal intensive care cots to the unit, and allow for new isolation rooms for babies with infections, dedicated palliative care facilities, family support areas and parent accommodation.

Mr Baird and Mrs Skinner also prom-ised to begin work on the new Maitland Hospital at Metford in its second term of government, if the Liberal Government is re-elected on Saturday.

The announcement was met with scepticism from the Labor camp, with Shadow Minister for Health Walt Secord claiming the new hospital would be private. For months, the Liberals have been ducking and weaving on Maitland hospital issues, he said. The Liberals have been refusing to release the fund-ing model for the new hospital.

The reason is simple; if the commu-nity had the financial details on Maitland hospital, they wouldnt like it.

Mrs Skinner said regardless of the funding model, public patients would be treated at the new hospital.

State election

Government pledges boost to neonatal care in the Hunter

Health Minister Jillian Skinner and Premier Mike Baird at John Hunter Hospital

AMELIA PARROTT @amelia_parrott

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Sport the hunter post // www.thehunterpost.com.auWednesday 25 March 2015

Three wins from as many match-es has set up a blockbuster clash for the Knights with the Penrith Panthers on Saturday afternoon

at Hunter Stadium.Newcastle left it late to snatch a 20-18

win over the Gold Coast Titans on Sun-day evening with Jeremy Smith finding plenty of open space to cross for the win-ning try under the posts with only four minutes remaining.

The match was played in slippery con-ditions with a number of showers pass-ing over the ground.

The Knights appeared well-placed leading 14-6 at halftime but Titans five-eighth Aidan Sezer quickly reduced the margin to two points with a converted try four minuted after the break.

Sezers second try in the 63rd-minute left the visitors playing from behind.

Earlier, the Knights under 20s side fought back from a 10-0 deficit at half-time to defeat the Titans 19-18. Newcas-tles NSW Cup team were defeated 18-6 by the Wyong Roos.

Saturdays match against the Panthers will kick-off at 3pm with lower-grade matches kicking off at 10.40am (under 20s) and 12.40pm (NSW Cup).

Knights' narrow win

A resilience under pressure has given Jets fans realistic hope of more victo-ries in the latter part of the A-League season after the 2-1 victory over the

Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta on Saturday.

Newcastle led 2-0 at halftime after goals from Enver Alivodi and Lee Ki-je and had a another disallowed when Edson Montao was ruled offside despite replays suggesting otherwise.

The Jets held on grimly after Nick Kalmar scored for the Wanderers six minutes into the second half with the Wanderers desperately searching for an equaliser.

Despite the Wanderers struggling for form this season, the vocal support from the home crowd ensures all matches are difficult propo-sitions for visiting teams.

The win moved the Jets off the bottom of the ladder and three points ahead of the Wan-derers, however Western Sydney will play a catch-up match tonight (Wednesday) against the Brisbane Roar and can swap positions again as they have a superior goal difference.

Jets coach Phil Stubbins said his side was fighting hard to keep away from last spot.

We dont want the wooden spoon, Stub-bins said.

That is obviously something thats in the back of the mind of the playing group.

Im just ecstatic for the group. As a young bunch of boys in the changeroom it was a great experience for them.

To run the game out like we did, I think we showed some maturity towards the end of the game as well which is good.

The Jets return home to Hunter Stadium this weekend when they take on Adelaide United at 5pm on Sunday afternoon.

A-League ladder: Wellington Phoenix 42pts (+16), *Melbourne Victory 38pts (+18), Syd-ney FC 38pts (+10), Perth Glory 38pts (+7), Adelaide United 37pts (+12), Melbourne City 30pts (-1), **Brisbane Roar 25pts (-2), Central Coast Mariners 20pts (-16), Newcastle Jets 14pts (-28), *Western Sydney Wanderers 11pts (-16). * denotes one game in hand. ** denotes two games in hand.

More wins on the radar as Jets climb off bottom of the ladder with victory over Western Sydney

The Jets overcame the parochial crowd to defeat the Wanderers on Saturday

PAUL MONFORTE

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