The whispers are growing that Newcastle is in the box seat to become a host city in the 2027 Rugby World Cup, as the city looks to put itself on the international sporting stage and add another string to its economic bow.
Earlier this year, Newcastle City Council resolved to pursue the goal and has quietly been putting the wheels in motion, writing to various politicians and making an application to Rugby Australia.
Hunter Means Business understands that Newcastle council, and the other organisations involved in the joint application, are not allowed to talk about the application process.
That said, here's what we know.
The Newcastle City Council executives diary, which is publicly available and regularly updated, shows there was a meeting on June 5 about "Expression of Interest, Rugby World Cup 2027".
Along with the council, there were four other parties at the meeting; Venues NSW, the University of Newcastle, Slattery Auctions and the Newcastle Exhibition and Convention Centre.
It's worth noting that Slattery Auctions owner, James Slattery, is the Hunter Rugby president.
Hunter Means Business understands World Rugby officials were in the region this month to inspect various facilities, such as McDonald Jones Stadium, No.2 Sportsground and the university's field, gym and pool.
It's also possible they inspected places such as the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, which the Wallabies have previously used as a training venue before an international match in Newcastle, and St Phillip's Christian College Newcastle campus, which has a state-of-the-art sports centre and gym.
Newcastle and Townsville are believed to be the only regional locations being considered as potential host cities, with the rest all being capital cities.
Newcastle has hosted a range of international matches across different codes in recent years, but missed out on hosting games or teams for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, despite McDonald Jones Stadium consistently attracting strong crowds for Matildas matches.
However the region has hosted international teams in the past.
When the Rugby World Cup was held in Australia during 2003, the USA squad was based in Newcastle, while Namibia trained at Port Stephens.
Although Newcastle council is hesitant to count their chickens before they hatch, Hunter Means Business was able to get the following comment.
"City of Newcastle has expressed its interest in hosting Men's Rugby World Cup 2027 matches and teams and would welcome the opportunity to bring rugby union's pinnacle tournament to Newcastle and its communities," a NCC spokesperson said.
"We are working in close collaboration with tournament organisers who will confirm the selected Host Cities and Team Bases in due course."
Coal mines challenging multi-employer bargaining
Three coal mining giants have joined forces to push back against the Fair Work Commission's multi-employer bargaining decision.
Whitehaven Coal, Peabody Energy and Glencore subsidiary Ulan Coal Mines have filed a joint application to the Federal Court, which seeks to overturn a ruling that competing businesses who mined the same commodity in the same state had a "common interest" that required them to be forced into multi-employer bargaining for up to 12 months.
Minerals Council Australia CEO Tania Constable said the appeal aimed to restore their right to negotiate enterprise agreements specific to their operations, rather than being forced into an industry-wide framework that could stifle their competitiveness and flexibility.
Only one Hunter Valley mine - Peabody's Wambo mine - would be affected by the outcome of the case, however it could set a precedent for the wider industry.
Glencore has a large presence in the Hunter, and, along with Whitehaven, has an office in Newcastle's CBD.
"Forcing businesses into industry-wide arrangements, regardless of their operational differences, exposes them to industry-wide industrial action and reduces their competitiveness in an already challenging global environment," Ms Constable said.
"This decision has been forced upon the industry. We do not want conflict. But under these new workplace laws, conflict has been brought upon us. It is a deliberate design feature of these laws."
City's best and brightest engineers named in national awards
The region's most innovative engineers and their projects have been named at the 2024 Engineers Australia Excellence Awards for People and Projects Newcastle.
Ampcontrol won Newcastle Project of the Year for its hybrid power and propulsion system for maritime vessels.
The project designed, constructed and demonstrated a 600-kilowatt hybrid-power system for a 13-metre boat.
The cutting-edge engineering solution tackled the "critical challenges in reducing carbon emissions in the maritime sector" and had the potential for scalable applications both locally and internationally.
AECOM's Hunter region area manager Amanda Kerr was named Newcastle Professional Engineer of the Year.
Leading a team of more than 100 engineers and scientists, Ms Kerr has been a driving force behind several sustainability initiatives.
"Her expertise in project management, health and safety, and environmental impact assessments has resulted in the successful completion of projects across various sectors," the judges said.
Aurecon's Cameron Deneck won Newcastle Emerging Professional Engineer of the Year.
As an associate at Aurecon and a chartered engineer, Mr Deneck has managed complex projects, including a $90-million programme for the Department of Defence, while his work on Aurecon's modular bridge system has reduced construction risks and costs.
The judges praised Mr Deneck's commitment to diversity and inclusiveness, pointing to his active recruitment of graduates and Indigenous students.
Engineers Australia Newcastle general manager Helen Link said the awards honoured the local trailblazers of the engineering world.
"By recognising these contributions, we not only elevate their work but also lay the groundwork for the next generation to continue this legacy," Ms Link said.
Local winners will go on to represent their division at the national awards' gala dinner on November 21 at Brisbane City Hall.
Hunter Means Business is a weekly column proudly flying the flag for the region's economic sector, published every Tuesday. Got a tip? Email jamieson.murphy@newcastleherald.com.au
