Newcastle City Council is considering whether to sign up to the Soccer World Cup bid in 2018 or 2022.

Energy Australia Stadium is being touted as a venue to host a competition match, council wants to go one step further and offer up to 6 sportsgrounds for training facilities and base camps for visiting teams.

It means ratepayers will have to fork out between 6 and 8 million dollars to bring local sportsgrounds up to scratch.

A council report says being part of the World Cup would bring economic benefits to the city but also warns that council would be required to bear all the liability and cost for maintaining the grounds while having to hand any money from the grounds to FIFA, which council's insurer says is an unacceptable risk.

Two young girls reported missing from their Bolton Point home yesterday have been found safe and well this morning at Broadmeadow.

The 10 and 12-year-old sisters were last seen riding off from their home on a mountain bike.

Senior Constable Tony Tamplin says a member of the public noticed the pair sitting at Broadmeadow Railway Station after hearing their description on radio this morning.

School students across the hunter have been given a healthy head start thanks to a new program from Hunter New England Health and Hunter Water

The Crunch and Sip program encourages schools to allow kids to eat fruit and vegetables and drink water in the class room.

The program is aimed at tackling obesity in the region and helping school children to make healthy choices

Program Manager Belinda Rose says it gives children a kick start to get healthy

Newcastle Inner City residents will soon have access to a world-class gym, with the Wests Group unveiling plans today.

The Gym will occupy 3 levels of the former Hunter Water Building in Hunter Street from July.

Wests Group Chief Executive, Phil Gardner says the new Balance Gym will be equipped with cutting-edge high tech exercise equipment and they'll be targeting children as well as adults.

Member for Port Stephen's Craig Baumann is outraged that Hunter Labor MP's are supporting their parties transport Blueprint.

Mr Baumann says the plan is of no benefit to the community here and members shouldn't be following party line.

Car registration costs will be increased by 30 dollars to fund Sydney's transport plan.

Mr Baumann says hunter tax payers will be handing more money out but won't be getting anything in return

Those of us attending the Whitney Houston and Tom Jones concerts tomorrow night are being warned of traffic delays.

Tom Jones is headlining "A Day On the Green" at Bimbadgen Estate, while Whitney Houston will perform at Hope Estate Winery.

Inspector Trevor Sheils from the Central Hunter Local Area Command says hopefully the different finishing times will help ease a bit of the congestion