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State Greens call for Newcastle rail reassurance
Tuesday 16 March 2010
The weekend state meeting of the NSW Greens in Newcastle has called on the NSW Government to reassure the Hunter community that it will maintain and improve existing rail services to Newcastle station, and not succumb to vested interests lobbying to remove the city’s vital public transport infrastructure.
As the date for the state government’s long-awaited report on the
Newcastle rail line approaches and vested interests step up their
political pressure to cut the city’s rail line, the Keneally Labor
government must make a clear commitment to maintain and upgrade the
current rail line and service to Newcastle station, Greens MP and
transport spokesperson Lee Rhiannon said.
"The Greens call on Premier Keneally to put people before profits, and
not to condemn Newcastle to a car-dependent future for the sake of
self-interested developers," Ms Rhiannon said.
"The NSW Labor government is already on the nose for its failure to
adequately plan for and provide public transport infrastructure and
services. It can ill-afford another transport policy debacle.
"Retaining and improving Newcastle’s rail transport infrastructure and
services will provide a sound basis for the revitalisation and future
sustainability of the Newcastle CBD.
"Greens analysis of figures provided by the Government’s own Hunter
Development Corporation shows that retaining and improving the rail
line is a vastly superior option to cutting it.
"The recent announcement of a major university campus development in
Honeysuckle demonstrates more than ever how vital the rail line will
be to the city’s future.
"A rail line is essential to deal with the thousands of students who
will require transport to a campus that will extend from at least
Civic to Wickham," Ms Rhiannon said.
Ms Rhiannon also called on the federal government to
confirm that any federal infrastructure funding assistance provided to
Newcastle will be used to expand and improve the city’s rail system.
"Federal funding for the Newcastle CBD should go to initiatives that
will both revitalise Newcastle and deliver improved public transport.
"Worthwhile projects would include narrowing and landscaping the rail
line, and installing safe, controlled, at-grade pedestrian crossings
between Wickham and Newcastle stations," Ms Rhiannon said.
For more information or comment: Lee Rhiannon (Member of the NSW
Legislative Assembly), 0427 861 568.
