Investigators have spent the day combing an old Lake Macquarie scout campground after police uncovered information they believe strongly links the site to the disappearance and suspected murder of two teenage girls 42 years ago.
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An excavator and officers from Operation Utah and Strike Force Arapaima began searching the former Camp Kanangra site at Nords Wharf on Wednesday morning, continuing through the day.
About half a dozen police were involved in the search.
It comes after NSW Police and the NSW government announced on Monday two $1 million rewards - one each in the unsolved missing person cases of Robyn Hickie and Amanda Robinson.
Ms Hickie was 18 years old when she was last seen on the Pacific Highway at Belmont at about 7.15pm on April 7, 1979.
A fortnight later, on April 21, 14-year-old Amanda vanished after attending a dance at a high school in Gateshead - she was last seen on Lake Road at Swansea.
Police have received dozens of messages and calls to Crime Stoppers in the two days since the reward money was announced for each case.
But information that led investigators to Camp Kanangra came before Monday's announcement.
Lake Macquarie Police District crime manager Detective Inspector Steve Benson said the Nords Wharf site was "one of many" that investigators were looking into at Lake Macquarie.
"Police are continuing to follow strong leads in relation to this investigation," he said.
"We're looking for information in relation to the disappearance, obviously, the specifics of that I won't go into because I've got to maintain the integrity of the investigation.
"But I'd also like to take the opportunity to thank those who have come forward since Monday. We are reviewing every single bit of information that comes through and we will be in contact with those people."
Detective Inspector Benson said the search was expected to continue for several days, "depending on what's found".
He said the families of the missing girls had been made aware of the development in the case before the search began.
"They will be led through every step of the investigation," he said.
Strike Force Arapaima was formed in 2019 to re-investigate the suspected murders of Ms Hickie, Amanda and another teenager, 16-year-old Gordana Kotevksi, who was snatched from a suburban Charlestown street in 1994. The reward money announced this week did not apply to Gordana's case.
Detective Inspector Benson said on Monday there was a separate line of inquiry into her suspected death, but the case remained under the umbrella of Strike Force Arapaima.
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