A FEW years ago, when the Hunter lobbied to be included in the Federal Government's Solar Cities program, critics labelled the effort "counter-intuitive". To them, Newcastle and the Hunter meant chimneys, coal, thermal power and rusty relics of last century's heavy industry.
Fortunately, those in the region who were capable of looking ahead were not daunted by the Government's failure to share their vision. They persisted with the notion that, since the region was already an energy capital of global importance, the Hunter should actively put itself at the forefront of innovation, especially in the field of solar and renewable power.
The logic once prejudices were put aside was unassailable. As home to the two biggest power stations in Australia, one of the world's biggest export coal ports and a university with an impressive energy research expertise, the Hunter is right to assert its case for recognition.
And since the Solar Cities campaign that recognition has begun to arrive.
Newcastle is now host to the CSIRO's National Solar Energy Centre, a hub around which a variety of solar power experiments are being marshalled. The city has recently been named as the headquarters of the Federal Government's national Clean Energy Innovation Centre. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, recently inspected Liddell power station's innovative solar array, announcing a major national effort to encourage larger scale projects along similar lines.
Newcastle City Council has been at the forefront of this regional push. Recognising that coal won't last forever and that global warming has created both risks and opportunities for the region, the council has worked to keep the Hunter in the national energy innnovation spotlight.
It was fitting then, that this week the council's much-applauded "ClimateCam" initiative was named best local government project in Australia. This "greenhouse gas speedometer" has captured imaginations worldwide and the award has again underscored the Hunter Region's energy expertise.
The council, and the individuals who worked on this project, deserve praise. It is to be hoped that more can be built on this foundation and that the Hunter will realise its potential to become a clean energy capital of the 21st century.
A new family man
DISAPPOINTING as it was that Newcastle's badly needed new Family Court was not funded in the recent federal budget, the Government has not entirely ignored its responsibility in this vital area.
The appointment of local lawyer Stewart Austin as a judge in the city's Family Court registry replacing retired judge Graham Mullane will enable the jurisdiction to return to more normal operation.
A well-known and active lawyer, Mr Austin faces a big challenge. The Newcastle registry is notoriously busy and the physical court facilities are dismally inadequate and urgently need to be more than doubled in size. The new judge is no doubt aware of those issues and is to be congratulated on his willingness to serve the public despite the handicaps.
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