The community had six weeks to comment. To date, the Government has made no decisions on the report and the city’s future.

RailCorp proposed to cut jobs at Cardiff Station and the community refused to accept the downgrade and wanted more.

Cardiff residents believed fixing the damage by vandals would outweigh the costs of employing a weekend staff member and they were prepared for a fight.

RailCorp proposed to cut Cardiff’s standby staff by more than half by getting rid of three full-time staff and one part-timer.

This cut was part of its cost-cutting exercise across the Hunter.

The Cardiff Chamber of Commerce spoke out emphasizing that Cardiff station had a six per cent growth in sales and RailCorp should be investing in the station by installing an easy-access lift.

In July NSW Transport Ministry reported staffing levels at the station would only change by the loss of a one position on the weekends.

The chamber was happy with this decision.

However, there was no movement on upgrade to the station.

In August, the State Government said it would be at least seven years before a lift would be installed at Cardiff Railway Station.

However, it revealed Broadmeadow station would receive $12million worth of upgrades.

The community and Charlestown MP Matthew Morris said they would continue to fight for the lift.

>> Residents and local businesses in Toronto West vigorously opposed a proposed brothel in their area.

A community group, No Brothel, was formed after a development application for a brothel in Toronto West industrial estate was submitted to Lake Macquarie Council.

The group was concerned the establish-ment would be in view of children playing in nearby bush land and it would lead to illegal street prostitution and drug-related crime.

The group rallied the community and presented the council with a petition against the brothel signed by 2000 people.

The council approved the brothel.

Not happy with the decision, the No Brothel group is seeking legal advice.

>> The Merewether Surf House debate continued.

Local residents believed Merewether’s existing problems – car parking and limiting views – would only get worse if the site was developed.

A development application was submitted by Sailor’s Rock to demolish Surf House and erect a three-storey building with public amenities, a café, function centre and restaurant.

The community said the only problem the development addressed was the council’s to demolish it when it could not afford to do so.

In August council approved the develop-ment application.

However, in November the leader of Sailor’s Rock consortium Keith Stronach, put the development on the market.

Real estate agents Collier International called for expressions of interest.

Toronto was desperate for doctors.

Figures form GP Access showed the Westlakes’s ratio was 1:1800, which is nearly double the acceptable rate.

Toronto Chamber of Commerce supported a local pharmacist’s decision to lobby the Federal Government for the area to be listed as a high priority in need of more GPs.

If recognised as a District of Workforce Shortage, it would be more likely to receive an overseas doctor or graduate doctor through the bonded medial place scheme.

Toronto Pharmacist and chamber member Sam Zoghibi had advertised for two doctors to fill the vacant practice above his pharmacy for almost two years with no success.

Mr Zoghibi said the Government’s solution of a $2.5million GP Super Clinic at Morisset, 20 kilometres away, was not good enough.

He said Toronto had a large elderly population who could not travel and who had trouble getting on public transport.

Mr Zoghibi was advised he could not apply for the listing as the request had to come from local medical practitioners.

He approached local doctors for support.

>> The fate of the Regal Cinema in Birmingham Gardens was still under review.

The Regal Cinema Redevelopment Sunset Committee was given another six months to decide on a plan of action for the building.

It was closed in 2006 after failing to meet standards to hold an entertainment license.

Friends of The Regal hope it can be reopened as an art-house cinema.

However, the committee will need to attract outside interest as the cost of brining the building up to scratch will be expensive.

One proposal on the table is a $3.5 million three-storey multi-purpose centre.

>> Hunter Street Mall had been a car-free zone for 28 years until Newcastle City council decided to re open it.

Estimated to cost $300,000, it decided to open the mall with 10 kilometres per hour speed limit, one- way motor traffic from east to west, a two-way movement for bicycles and short-term free parking and loading zones.

It was reopened to traffic in late October.

In August, the council approved a $7 million plan to revitalise Hunter Street from Newcomen to Denison streets. The work is estimated to finish in 2012.

>> As a review of the Newcastle Busses ticketing system took place, local MPs and bus drivers moved to squash proposed changes.

The NSW Independent Pricing Review Tribunal investigated a possible change from a time-based fare system to a section-based system like the Sydney Buses fare structure.

If changed, the adult fare for a 30-kilometre trip from Newcastle Railway Station to Swansea Heads would nearly double, going from $3.20 to $6.10.

Swansea MP Robert Combs made a sub-mission to the tribunal on behalf of local MPs to express their concern at the proposal.

In December, the tribunal released its recommendations that time-based fares would remain and the costs would increase by between 10 and 30 cents on January 3.

The surf lifesaving club whose members performed Australia’s first sea rescue now needed to be rescued itself.

Stockton Surf Lifesaving Club is one of the oldest sea rescue organisations but its members feared it would not be able to save lives on its own for much longer.

The club had once boasted 100 surf-patrol members but that had declined dramatically to 33 in the previous season.

It sent out an SOS to the community for new members before its patrolling season started.

In September, the club reported it had people join from Wallsend, Shortland, Birmingham Gardens and suburbs surrounding Stockton.

The club’s nipper membership had also increased substantially.

With the influx of members, it was able to continue its patrol of the beach.

>> A Parklea-style market proposed for Hannell Street Maryville caused considerable debate throughout the community.

The market proposed by Constantine Development Group was estimated to generate $20 million a year and create more than 100 part-time and causal jobs.

Even so, Maryville residents believed it was inappropriate for their suburb.

They were concerned about traffic, parking, the environment and its economic impact on the city.

The NSW Department of Planning and the Hunter Business Chamber also had objections to the proposal.

In November Newcastle City Councillors voted not to pursue the market plan in the near future.

Constantine Development Group spokes-person said three options – markets, industrial bulky goods and housing – would still be investigated for the site.

>> The music festival Fat as Butter created a wave of emotion across Wickham when the suburb was announced as the venue for its next event.

Some residents argued Wickham Park was not the place for the festival while others believed it was a great spot.

Newcastle City Council had agreed about the festival being relocated from its debut location at Newcastle foreshore in 2008 to Wickham Park.

Those opposed were worried it was the wrong venue and about noise pollution, vandalism and alcohol-induced anti-social behaviour.

Festival promoters reassured residents saying sound levels would be monitored, 100 security guards would be on duty, and only mid-strength beer would be sold.

The council would set up a hotline for nearby residents if they required assistance on the day.

The festival went ahead at Wickham Park on October 25 and about 13,000 people attended.

Police said there were no assaults reported but they made 30 drug detections and refused entry to 20 people who were intoxicated.