What will happen to the land that will be made available when the train and tracks are removed?
Do you have an impression of what that land might look like if the heavy rail is cut and removed? Have you assumed it would be a 'green corridor', perhaps a park with pedestrian access?
In late 2012 when the Government announced the rail line was to be removed, the former Planning Minister Brad Hazzard announced that the Government had no intention of opening the space to development.
On 14 December 2012, ABC Radio News reported:
'The State Government is assuring the people of Newcastle it won't allow developers to move into the city's rail corridor, now that it's decided to cut train services into the CBD.
Planning Minister Brad Hazzard is today announcing 120-million dollars to kickstart a plan to cut heavy rail at Wickham, replacing trains with buses and building a new transport interchange.
The State Government will also be seeking Federal Government funds as well investment from the private sector.
Hunter Street's mall will get an overhaul and there'll be eight new links to connect the city to the waterfront.
Mr Hazzard says the rail corridor will remain in public hands, " I can make it very clear, 100 per cent, that our intent it stays in public ownership for the long haul, so there's no intent whatsoever to go handing it over to developers. What we're really talking about here is a guaranteed, no doubt about it, stays in public ownership, must remain as a potential corridor".
Mr Hazzard has since been replaced as NSW Planning Minister, Pru Goward.
Just last month the NSW Property Council told 1233 ABC Newcastle that the corridor was 'not attractive or appropriate for development'. Regional Director Andrew Fletcher said, "It is not available for development. That's the fact of the matter,"
"If the light rail route ultimately goes down Hunter St, what industry has put forward for use of the existing rail corridor is, if you could imagine the Fernleigh Track going down the guts of the city. A green corridor for pedestrians and cyclists, good open space, maybe some cafes going down either side. It is not attractive or appropriate for development."
Last week, the NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejikilian announced the light rail route and said the future of rail corridor land made vacant by the project is "to be decided,"
"Obviously we'll be looking from a transport perspective as to how much we need that in the near future. Especially in the interim solutions. Ultimately it is a decision for Government, it is not a decision for me as the Minister for Transport."
While the Newcastle Urban Renewal Strategy makes numerous references to 'opening up access to the foreshore, it has just one paragraph on 'Future Uses of the Rail Corridor',
'In the short-term additional at-grade connections can be created across the corridor in strategic locations. Uses of the remaining parts of the corridor will need to be investigated, although there are opportunities for it to be landscaped in the meantime. The urban renewal strategy reinforces Hunter Street's current role as the main movement corridor in the city centre to support activity and economic opportunity. Any future uses of the railway corridor will need to factor this in'.
Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy told 1233 he's open minded about the possibility of the rail corridor being developed, "I'm not too sure until I see the final plan. My mind would be open,"
" The (light) rail corridor now coming down Hunter Street may make a difference. When I go and physically look at that ugly rail site there now with the dingo fence something needs to take it's place that's more beautiful that what we're looking at. Cycleways are an ideal thing for that of course, landscaping is open of course, what area is left over and for what purpose - let's leave that to the government planners to come back with a proposal they can show us."
Speaking to 1233's Carol Duncan, NSW Opposition Leader, John Robertson, said today that uncertainty is increasing about what will happen to the rail corridor, "The basis for making that decision was always that you needed to open up the CBD to the Harbour,"
"If it's now going to turn out that it's developed, I think a lot of people will have some very serious questions to ask of this Government".
"They have to guarantee to the people of Newcastle and the Hunter in general that is corridor will be converted to open space as people were led to believe. They also need to confirm not only when constructions will start on the light rail, but that will be completed and people will be able to get off buses and actually get on a light rail", said Mr Robertson.
The NSW Minister for Planning Pru Goward said, "This will be driven by people's ideas. Let's see what the ideas are that are out there. Governments aren't going to dictate who builds what building,"
"That is very much a call for the community, investors, for entrepreneurs, for the Council and it will be driven by what the community thinks will work in that space and what the community wants to see there. This is a much longer discussion which I look forward to having with you."
The Planning Minister Pru Goward will be speaking with Carol Duncan on 1233 Afternoons this Tuesday 3rd June 2014.
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