Newcastle Council cancels public meetings over staff safety concerns

The City of Newcastle has cancelled scheduled community consultation meetings following safety concerns for council staff. The cancellations follow a heated town hall meeting in Beresfield, where approximately 80 to 100 residents gathered to protest new flood risk modelling.

The proposed reclassification of hundreds of properties as flood-prone in the Hexham and Woodberry Swamp catchments is expected to significantly impact land values and insurance premiums. Affected property owners were notified of the potential changes on October 6, noting that new development controls may apply to their land.

In response to the cancellations, the council will replace the public meetings with one-on-one appointments, both in-person and online. The City of Newcastle, in partnership with Maitland and Cessnock City Councils, is working with specialist consultants to develop the flood study, which focuses on flash flooding and extreme weather events.