Steve Hart’s Future Plans Revealed

Veteran Australian journalist Steve Hart has announced his departure from 7News Brisbane and will be joining WIN News in Wollongong. This move, disclosed to staff on Aug. 20, is yet another significant loss for the Seven Network’s Brisbane-based newsroom, which has been dealing with a series of high-profile exits in recent months.

Sources close to the situation suggest that Hart’s decision to leave 7News was driven mainly by personal reasons. Specifically, “family reasons” played a crucial role, as reported by Sky News Australia. Hart’s wife resides in Sydney, leading to frequent weekend commutes for him, which influenced his decision to move closer to his family, according to The Courier Mail.

Hart, who joined the Seven Network in August 2022 after establishing himself as a respected crime reporter at Network 10, will conclude his responsibilities with 7News on Sept. 11. Despite his relatively short tenure of just over two years, Hart made significant contributions to the network’s news coverage.

Before joining Seven, Hart built a name for himself as a sports presenter and reporter at Network 10 and Fox Sports. In 2018, he transitioned into crime reporting at Network 10, further expanding his journalistic portfolio.

Hart’s departure is part of a broader trend of exits from 7News Brisbane. In recent weeks, sports presenter Shane Webcke announced his decision to step back from the news desk in January 2025. Webcke, who has been with Seven for 18 years, cited his desire for “greater flexibility and more time to pursue my family agricultural interests” as the reason for his departure, per The Courier Mail.

While Webcke will stay with the network to contribute to the NRL Insights program, his reduced role represents another major change for the Brisbane newsroom. In his farewell statement, Webcke expressed gratitude for his long tenure, saying, “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while, to allow me greater flexibility and more time to pursue my family agricultural interests,” reports the outlet.

These instances of high-profile exits follow a wave of redundancies at Seven in July, which saw the departure of notable figures like newsreader Sharyn Ghidella and weatherman Paul Burt. These cuts were part of a broader cost-cutting measure that resulted in the loss of 150 jobs across the network.

Burt’s departure was particularly impactful due to his candid farewell. During his final on-air segment in July, he stated bluntly, “If I’d had the opportunity I wouldn’t have wanted to go this way. It’s what happens when you get sacked.”

Ghidella, let go in July after years of dedicated service, expressed her sadness at the decision but has already secured a new role. She stated that she was “saddened” to leave, and starting in September, she will join Network 10 as the anchor of the 5 p.m. Queensland news bulletin, reports The Courier Mail.

These consecutive departures have reportedly had a demoralizing effect on the remaining staff at 7News Brisbane. An insider speaking to The Courier Mail described the staff morale as “destroyed” and said that the redundancies of both on-air personalities and behind-the-scenes staff were handled in a “brutal” and “cold” manner.

Source: Sky News Australia, The Courier Mail