THE LOCAL SCENE

Royal Freemasons' Benevolent Institution Break Ground for new Hawkins Masonic Village The event marked a significant milestone for RFBI as they start development on their new RFBI Hawkins Masonic Village – a state-of-the-art aged care centre that will expand the number of people they can support in a new and innovative model of care. RFBI has been a proud member of the Edgeworth community for over 50 years. Mayor Kay Fraser and Councillor Brian Adamthwaite of Lake Macquarie Council attended the ceremony along with RFBI representatives, members from the building and projects teams, as well as village residents who are eager to move into their new home. RFBI has partnered with Lipman Pty Ltd and Planix Projects to construct the $50+ million village.

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Firing of the Guns at Fort Scratchley When the Gun fired after 100 years on Australia Day this year, it was thanks to the efforts of two very special employees. Steve Jordan, a Hunter Water employee of 38 years and Will Johnson, an Engineering contractor at Hunter Water, had spent almost seven years restoring the gun. They were assisted by other volunteers who helped with large-scale fabrication and engineering works. Together, they engineered everything below the barrel, including a new gun carriage and pivoting track, managing the workload around their regular duties and volunteering a lot of their free time. Congratulations to all involved for their dedication, passion and commitment to this great community project