[Greens-Media] Newcastle planning report delivers compelling case to halt the rail cut

[David Shoebridge]

Newcastle planning report delivers compelling case to halt the rail cut

The Parliamentary Inquiry into Newcastle Planning has today delivered an interim report that makes a compelling case for the NSW government to immediately halt its plans to cut the Newcastle rail line on Boxing Day.

The report is the first thorough analysis of the case for and against the truncation of the Newcastle rail line and it concludes that there is no sustainable argument in favour of closing the rail line. The report makes a series of recommendations directed to the government, the key one being:

"That no steps be taken to remove Newcastle's existing rail infrastructure until a peer-reviewed report is obtained by the NSW Government that thoroughly considers the economic, social and environmental costs and benefits of the alternative options of removing and retaining the existing rail line."

Greens MP and Planning Spokesperson David Shoebridge, the committee's Deputy Chair, said:

"This report makes it clear that the decision to truncate the rail line is based on a fundamentally flawed economic model that provides no rational basis to tear up Newcastle's rail network.

"There was no sustainable case put forward by either the government or the property and developer lobby to support the decision to remove the rail line from the heart of this State's second largest city.

"It is genuinely remarkable that a decision as important as this can be made by a government without a single credible report in favour of it.

"The report finds that literally no one in the government has even asked the opinion of the thousands of residents from Maitland through to the Upper Hunter who rely on this rail line as essential infrastructure.

"The overwhelming weight of the evidence before the Committee was that the proposed Wickham transport interchange will, if it is allowed to be constructed, produce serious adverse outcomes for both local traffic and public transport users.

"The problems associated with the Wickham interchange are intrinsic to the site the government has chosen and are not able to be resolved by further design refinements.

"This should be a wake-up call for the Government.

"It is plain unacceptable that the Coalition is copying the worst traits of the former Labor government by pushing this dreadfully unpopular project over the Christmas break, at a time when they think communities will be least able to oppose it.

"If the Premier is genuinely interested in the welfare of the Newcastle and Hunter community then he will digest the report's conclusions and call a halt to plans to truncate the rail line during the Christmas break," Mr Shoebridge said.

The full report can be found here: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/276895D301BF5FD5CA257DB1007E0223?open&refnavid=LC5_4
Media contact: David Shoebridge 9230 3030


David Shoebridge
Greens MP in the NSW Legislative Council
P: (02) 9230 3030 |T: @ShoebridgeMLC<http://twitter.com/#!/shoebridgemlc>
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