Friday March 5 2021: Top stories from the Newcastle Herald, your trusted voice in the Hunter

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has all but killed off an application to allow more gas exploration off the Hunter region's coast. The company behind the soon-to-be-built lithium ion battery factory at Tomago says the government's Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Processing road map will help increase the value and influence of Australia's battery industry. EXTENDING the lifespan of a Muswellbrook coal mine would shut off diversification options for the Hunter, a hearing has been told. Knights coach Adam O'Brien says he is "proud" of the way Mitchell Pearce has always fronted up and owned his mistakes and has backed his embattled former skipper to silence his critics and deliver on the field this season. Police are investigating after a fire they are treating as suspicious broke out at the former workers' club in Kurri Kurri this week.