HERALD NEWS
Bralie couldn’t wait any longer to meet her parents
BUNDLE OF JOY: Proud new parents Gavin and Kristy Wilson with Bralie, who arrived at home in the early hours of yesterday. – Picture by Ryan Osland
Lake’s libraries
facing big cuts
By DAMON CRONSHAW
Lake Macquarie Reporter
LAKE Macquarie’s libraries are
on the chopping block, with the
city council looking for ways to
save $10-$15 million a year to
balance its budget.
Mayor Greg Piper said libraries
were an obvious area to examine
for cuts.
‘‘We have 11 libraries around
the city, but libraries are chan-
ging,’’ Cr Piper said.
‘‘There are more options for
research, reading and entertain-
ment, and technology is chan-
ging.’’
Council figures show people
visited the city’s libraries 865,922
times in 2009-10, borrowing
1.51 million items.
Cr Piper said he was ‘‘very
disappointed that some council-
Monitor screen time
HIDING the TV remote and
games console control is a good
thing to do if it’s the only way to
limit the time children spend in
front of a screen, a study
published yesterday says.
The study found children who
spent hours each day in front of
the TV or games console had
more psychological problems. AFP
BY THE BOOKS
Number of
Year items borrowed the library library programs
2009-10 1.51 m
2008-09 1.58 m
2007-08 1.63 m
Lake Macquarie City Council libraries are at: Belmont,
Cardiff, Charlestown, Edgeworth, Morisset, Speers Point,
Swansea, Toronto, Wangi Wangi, Windale and mobile library.
lors have expressed the view’’ that
libraries should not be con-
sidered for cuts.
‘‘I think that’s a weak position,’’
he said.
As previously reported, some
councillors have given council
staff a mandate to prepare plans
for cuts to traditional services
Intruders knife man across chest, nose
A MAN was recovering in John
Hunter Hospital last night after
suffering knife slashes to his face
and chest during a home inva-
sion at Lambton.
Newcastle City detectives are
investigating why the 26-year-
old’s Newcastle Road home was
targeted by two masked men
Visits to People attending
865,922 18,894
883,044 16,918
876,731 17,295
such as libraries, pools, halls,
community projects, youth cen-
tres, public toilets, maintenance
and cultural and sporting services.
Councillor Kay Fraser recently
made public her concerns, saying
those aiming to cut services
should ‘‘remember the com-
munity pays rates to the council’’.
armed with a knife and baseball
bat about 5am yesterday.
A police spokesman said the
victim and his partner, 19, were
asleep in the lounge room when
they were confronted by the men.
The vi ct i m s uf f e r e d a
10-centimetre slash across the
chest and a wound to his nose
Cr Piper said the council had
made a ‘‘big effort in the last two
financial years to make one-off
savings’’.
He said the council’s challenge
was to find permanent savings.
‘‘We think Lake Macquarie
council is generally lean, but I
don’t shirk from the responsibility
or reality that we do have to
reduce recurrent costs,’’ he said.
‘‘Residents have to realise a lot
of things on people’s wishlists also
might not be able to happen
because we are going to pare back
our annual spending.’’
A spokeswoman said a survey,
being done as part of the library
review, could be completed
online at library.lakemac.com.au.
Public forums will be held at
local branches about the review
of library services from Novem-
ber 22.
after being told to hand over cash.
The injuries are not life-
threatening, and he was in a
stable condition last night.
Information can be forwarded
to Newcastle police on 4929 0999
or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
– Dan Proudman
Tuesday, October 12, 2010 NEWCASTLE HERALD 3
By BEN SMEE
GAVIN Wilson was calling
for an ambulance
yesterday morning when
his newborn daughter
Bralie arrived in a hurry.
Mr Wilson’s wife, Kristy,
started feeling labour
pains about 11pm on
Sunday.
‘‘It was starting to get to
the stage where we had to
go to the hospital, so we
rang them and they told us
to come in,’’ Mr Wilson said.
‘‘We were waiting for my
mother to come and pick
up our son and next thing
my wife started pushing
the baby out. I was on the
phone talking to an
ambulance and they were
explaining what to do.’’
Bralie was born at
12.55am in the bed of the
couple’s Heddon Greta
home.
Mrs Wilson was five days
overdue, but her labour
took just two hours.
The couple were caught
by surprise by Bralie’s
quick arrival, particularly
after going through a
routine birth with
22-month old son Kayden.
‘‘His birth took about six
to eight hours,’’ Mr Wilson
said. ‘‘The whole thing
caught us by surprise.’’
Both mum and baby are
healthy, and Mr Wilson
said the experience would
make a great story for when
Bralie grows up.
‘‘It’s something that we’ll
remember, definitely,’’ he
said.
BUILDING OR
RENOVATING IN A
MINE SUBSIDENCE
DISTRICT?
Phone your nearest office
for advice on:
• Surface development guidelines
• Housing and construction
techniques
• Mine subsidence
issues
• Subdivision of land
NEWCASTLE 4908 4300
WYONG 4352 1646
SINGLETON 6572 4344
24 Hour Emergency Service
10689
FREE CALL 1800 248 083
mail@minesub.nsw.gov.au
www.minesub.nsw.gov.au
PUTTING SERVICE AND THE
NEEDS OF PEOPLE FIRST