Bus driver's words to passengers before fatal Hunter Valley crash

Documents tendered in court for the first time detail the exchanges between Brett Andrew Button and the wedding guests he was transporting moments before a crash that left 10 dead in the Hunter Valley last year.

A man has died after the electric scooter he was riding crashed with a ute around midday on Appletree Road, outside West Wallsend High School near Newcastle.

With Australian households spending an increasingly large chunk of their incomes on housing, it's no wonder some of us are looking for more affordable alternatives.

With hundreds of men waiting to access behaviour change programs, service providers say governments must fund more programs to tackle the domestic violence crisis.

Todd Fuller painted the portraits of 30 Liddell Power Station workers to mark the site's closure. The experience changed his perspective forever.

Newcastle GP Max Mollenkopf says unnecessary appointments for medical certificates are wasting doctors' time.

For many Australians, taking a swim between the flags is a common way to clear the mind. But for these merfolk, wriggling into a tail and donning a crown takes the practice far deeper with friendship and creativity at the helm.

Cortnee Vine is among four debutants in Australia's women's football team heading to Paris without seven-time Olympic goalscorer Sam Kerr.

She is acclaimed as an artist and designer, but Saretta Fielding also creates colour in her backyard.

When Emily Large was at a mainstream school, her attendance rate was something like 6 per cent.

The ABC will celebrate all things books from June 10 to 16, which includes the Big Weekend of Books on June 15 and 16. Tune in to ABC Local Radio where we'll be talking about books, reading and community.

Whether you're into thrillers, non-fiction, fantasy, or anything in between, there'll be something for every kind of book lover!

Origin a sell-out: Game 2 of the Women's State of Origin to be played at Newcastle's Hunter Stadium on Thursday night has sold out. About 30,000 people are expected to attend the game, setting a new record crowd figure for the women's game. This comes of the back of a record 25,492 people attending game 1 of the women's Origin series last month. The Blues won Game 1 of the three-game series 22-12. The NSW squad arrived in Newcastle at the weekend to prepare for this week's match.

Photo: NSW Blues hooker Olivia Higgins speaks with the media. Image credit: ABC News/Bridget Murphy

Housing targets challenge: It'll be a tight turn-around to meet the state government's new housing targets in the Hunter, according to the NSW Master Builders Association. Premier Chris Minns last week announced new targets for local government areas as part of a plan to ease the housing crisis. The five-year target for Newcastle is 11,100 new homes, 8,000 for Lake Macquarie, and 5,300 for Maitland. The association's executive director Brian Seidler says different types of housing will be needed, including numerous apartments. He says commercial builders historically built unit blocks and the cost of commercial building generally is rising.

House prices still rising: A property analysis company says house prices in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie are edging closer to a record high. According to the latest report from CoreLogic, house prices across the two regions have risen 0.4 per cent throughout May, marking a fifth consecutive month of price increases. The median house value in Newcastle is up four per cent so far in 2024, sitting at more than $900,000.

Hydrogen hub a step closer: A multi-million dollar hydrogen hub in the Hunter has been approved by the New South Wales government. The $207 million project is expected to deliver about 55 megawatts of energy capacity by 2026. The development at Kooragang Island is a partnership between Origin Energy and Orica, with construction to begin mid next year. Green hydrogen, which is created by splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen, can be used as a feedstock in industrial processes and as a fuel source. The government says the project will help support the establishment of a commercial-scale green hydrogen supply chain. You can find out more about green hydrogen and how it's made here.

Aircraft wheels-up interim report released: Air safety officials are examining maintenance records as they investigate how a plane's landing gear failed before a wheels-up emergency landing at Newcastle airport last month. The plane carrying a pilot and two passengers made the wheels-up landing on Monday, May 13. In its interim report released this week the Australian Transport Safety Bureau says the landing gear failed to retract and then failed to extend. It says the investigation will include the evaluation of the landing gear fault, interviewing involved parties, and the examination of maintenance records.

Plans to protect crucial habitat: The Newcastle City Council is moving to protect crucial habitat from development under a new agreement with the state government. The 22-hectare biodiversity corridor at Black Hill on the western edge of the Hexham wetlands is home to many threatened species including the black-necked stork and grey-headed flying fox. The announcement is the first major outcome of council's environment strategy.

Seabird numbers decline: Climate change could be contributing to the decline in the population of a rare species of sea bird around Port Stephens, the National Parks and Wildlife Service says. A program was launched aiming to increase their numbers, including encouraging them to nest on other nearby islands. Parks and wildlife service Hunter Coast area manager Susanne Callaghan says experts are trying to find answers to the current decline in bird numbers on the island.

Jets lose nine players: The Newcastle Jets say they're disappointed to lose local talent Archie Goodwin. The 19-year-old told coach Rob Stanton last week that he wouldn't be accepting a new offer to stay at the club. The Jets say Goodwin wants to be pushed outside his comfort zone and challenge himself away from his home town. The club says it made it clear to Goodwin he was a key part of its future and while it's disappointed to lose him, it respects his decision. Another eight players are also departing the club: Lucas Mauragis, Brandon O'Neill, Trent Buhagiar, Reno Piscopo, Jason Berthomier, Daniel Stynes, Michael Weier and Carl Jenkinson. The departures come as the club awaits the finalisation of its sale to a new owner.

Knights prop fined: Newcastle Knights prop Jacob Saifiti has accepted an early guilty plea for a headbutt on Bulldogs hooker Reed Mahoney. The incident occurred in the dying minutes of last Friday's game at Hunter Stadium, which saw the Knights thrashed 32 to 2. Saifiti was sin binned over the altercation. The early plea means he has dodged a suspension, but will pay a $3,000 fine. The Knights head to Melbourne this week to take on the Storm on Sunday.