Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about the devastating cuts being inflicted on our local NBN News following its takeover by WIN Television. For generations, NBN News has been much more than a television bulletin; it has been a trusted institution in Newcastle and across the Hunter. When disaster struck during the 1989 earthquake, when the Pasha Bulker ran aground off our coast and throughout the uncertainty of the COVID pandemic, NBN News was there, helping keep our community informed.

Now, that legacy is under threat. In recent days, I've spoken directly with journalists and camera operators whose jobs are on the line. These are dedicated local professionals who have spent years telling stories of our region. They are fearful, anxious and deeply concerned about what comes next. What makes this situation even more extraordinary is that WIN is actually claiming that these changes will somehow deliver more local content. Novocastrians can see through that nonsense. You certainly don't increase local content by abolishing local weekend news. Yet, last night, that's exactly what happened in Newcastle when the weekend bulletin team signed off for the last time. You do not increase local content by slashing weeknight news to just 30 minutes, and you certainly do not strengthen local journalism by cutting the very people who produce it. These decisions are not about serving local communities; they are about cutting costs.

Regional and local news matters. Novocastrians deserve better than this, and WIN should be ashamed and reverse these callous cuts to local jobs and local content.