Posted
Newcastle MP Tim Owen says a $120 million plan to cut the inner-city rail line will set Newcastle up for generations to come.
The State Planning Minister Brad Hazzard will be in the city today revealing plans to end the train line at Wickham and build a new transport interchange.
Mr Hazzard says it ends years of indecision over the future of transport services in Newcastle.
The rail corridor will remain as public space with eight new links to connect the city to the waterfront, and frequent bus services will replace trains.
Mr Owen says it is a significant investment and work will start within the next 18 months.
"We're now going to move this city forward and set it up for generations in front of us," he said.
"It's probably some of the most fantastic news we've had for many decades.
"I mean, $120 million will be the start and we understand it will cost more than that.
"We will need to go to the private sector but it's just fantastic news for Newcastle."
Mr Owen says cutting the line is the shot in the arm the CBD needs but it is only one part of a much larger plan for the city.
"It's a huge urban redesign," he said.
"The transport part of it is only a very, very small part, but it's about the urban redesign of this city for the future.
"It's basically a place-making and precinct plan for all of Hunter Street, but yes, there will be an interchchange, there'll be eight new crossing points directly to the harbour front, there'll be a complete redevelopment of the mall area by GPT and Landcom."
The Opposition Leader John Robertson has slammed the decision as short-sighted.
He says Newcastle will be left with a second-rate transport system.
"It's extraordinary at a time when the O'Farrell Govenrment is building heavy rail and light rail projects in Sydney that they've announced that they'd be ripping up heavy rail in Newcastle," he said.
"The govenrment is failing the people of the Hunter by not developing and implementing a fully integrated transport solution."
Mr Robertson says the Government should be investing in rail particularly as more people move into the Newcastle CBD.
"Proposals to see 21,000 more residents in the Newcastle CBD, the relocation of the University with more people going into the CBD," he said.
"This is a government that should be investing in the rail service, instead what we see is the delivery of a second-rate solutuion."
The Property Council of Australia says Novocastrians will welcome today's rail line decision after a poll on the future of the city revealed most wanted level crossings removed.
More than 600 people took part in the 'Make My City Work' online poll with a perceived lack of action by government a common theme.
The Property Council's Andrew Fletcher says 57 per cent of respondents wanted action on the rail line as soon as possible.
"They just want a decision one way or the other and a clear plan on how they're going to revitalise the city centre and they then want the council to work with them to get the job done," he said.
"We asked people, well if the rail line between Newcastle and Wickham was to go, what would you want it replaced with?
"There's certainly a healthy appetite for light rail and around 28 per cent of people said they'd like a green corridor."
Topics: rail-transport, urban-development-and-planning, federal---state-issues, newcastle-2300, wickham-2293
No comments:
Post a Comment