Signs installed on Fernleigh Track to tackle anti-social behaviour

30 March 2026

Key representatives stand beneath the new signage

newy.com.au – New signage has been installed along the Fernleigh Track to encourage people to report anti-social behaviour and help keep the shared pathway safe for cyclists, runners and pedestrians.

Fourteen signs have been placed at all access points to the track in Newcastle and Lake Macquarie as part of a broader safety response involving councils, NSW Police, Transport NSW and the Hunter Joint Organisation.

NSW Police District Inspector Anita Kruse said police had maintained a presence on the track over the past year. “Over the past twelve months Police have conducted regular patrols and continue to respond to incidents on the Fernleigh track,” she said. “Lake Macquarie Police District have also conducted operations specific to the Fernleigh Track including bike patrols and foot patrols.”

Inspector Kruse said police had also spoken with track users about their concerns and provided education in relation to e-bikes. Over the past 12 months, 10 infringement notices have been issued and 24 offences have been dealt with under the Young Offenders Act. Twenty-one incidents were reported on the track across Newcastle and Lake Macquarie over the same period, consistent with the previous year.

Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said the signs were one of the first outcomes from a Fernleigh Track roundtable held with key representatives in late 2025. “A marketing campaign, encouraging respectful use of public spaces and educating people to report anti-social behaviour, will be amplified across the Hunter,” he said. “This is just the first of many initiatives developed by that working group, which will continue to create and implement safety improvements well into the future.”

Roundtable attendees included Minister for Police, Minister for the Hunter and Swansea MP Yasmin Catley, representatives from the office of Charlestown MP Jodie Harrison, senior NSW Police representatives and former Newcastle lord mayor Ross Kerridge. A working group was subsequently formed with representatives from Lake Macquarie City Council, City of Newcastle, NSW Police, Transport NSW and the Hunter Joint Organisation.

Newcastle councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said the Fernleigh Track remained an important regional asset. “The Fernleigh Track is a popular destination that attracts local and visiting cyclists, runners and pedestrians all year round,” she said. “It has been positive to see stakeholders from across different levels of government and the community work collaboratively on initiatives that will help address the current issues and help all users feel safe and secure when accessing the track.”

Ms Catley urged the community to report incidents, saying: “NSW Police are working alongside both Lake Macquarie City Council and Newcastle City Council to help improve safety on the track, but we need the community’s support. If you see an incident on the track, call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or if you are in immediate danger, call 000.” She said police had conducted an operation earlier this month on the track between Belmont and Speers Point, with further operations planned.

The Fernleigh Track runs 15.3 kilometres from Adamstown to Belmont and attracts about 400,000 users a year. The former rail corridor carried coal and passengers from the 1890s until 1991, before being jointly purchased by Lake Macquarie and Newcastle councils in 1994 and converted into a shared pathway between 2003 and 2011.