The Latest Breaking News from Hunter

The federal government has labelled the Morrison government's plans to spend $250million to establish a container terminal at the port of Newcastle as a 'cruel hoax', as it comes under pressure to financially support the project.

The Hunter's unemployment rate rose faster than the state average in May following an increase in the region's workforce participation rate.

The NSW government will rake in an extra $810 million in coal royalties this year - and almost $4 billion over the next four years - but has not put an extra dollar into a fund to help coal mining communities prepare for change.

Unions for public and independent school teachers will meet on Tuesday.

About $35 million worth of the NSW government vouchers are yet to be used in the Hunter region.

The state government will invest $55 million in new health projects across the Hunter over the next 12 months.

The price of regular unleaded petrol remains hovering around the 200c/l mark in many places across the Hunter - with motorists being charged as much as 215.9c/l for ULP on Friday.

A steep rise in the number of cases of thefts from motor vehicles at Muswellbrook was at least partly to do with a spate of incidents involving a group of juveniles allegedly committing robberies in the area, Hunter Valley Police District acting commander Superintendent Joanne Schultz says.

Detectives have laid 12 extra charges as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged sexual offences in the Hunter region.