An article and online poll in the Maitland Mercury regarding the GM of HDC: The head of a state government agency advocating the removal of Newcastle rail line has denied having a conflict of interest, despite telling a parliamentary inquiry that he partially owns properties near the future Wickham transport interchange. Hunter Development Corporation general ...

As reported in the Maitland Mercury, advocates for retaining the train line between Wickham and Newcastle have had their say to the committee set up to investigate recent planning decisions in the Hunter. … Save Our Rail vice-president Kim Cross was one of the witnesses who fronted the inquiry in the afternoon to give the ...

The Newcastle Herald reports that state-owned development authority UrbanGrowth NSW has drawn up a plan for the city centre’s renewal and use of the soon to be vacant rail corridor land to go to a Cabinet committee, while asking for the community’s views on the issues. Documents tabled to NSW Parliament show the “urban renewal ...

Greg Ray is on the money with his article “the corridor of powers” (apart from the bit about liking the idea of cutting the rail at Civic). FIRST they said they wanted to cut the rail line to connect the eastern part of the city with the harbour. … Then it was maybe Woodville Junction ...

The Newcastle Herald reports that state development authority UrbanGrowth is urging the government to permit development on at least part of the Newcastle rail corridor that will be left vacant after the heavy rail is truncated, sources say. With the heavy rail between Newcastle and Wickham set to be permanently closed on December 26, the ...

As reported in the Newcastle Herald, the state government will have to table to Parliament a string of documents it has been keeping under wraps, relating to its plans to truncate Newcastle’s heavy rail. … Planning Minister Pru Goward and Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian must provide all emails and other records relating to any meetings ...

As reported by ABC News Newcastle, the New South Wales Greens say they have forced the Baird Government to release key documents associated with its decision to truncate Newcastle’s inner-city rail line on Boxing Day. Greens MP and transport spokeswoman Mehreen Faruqi says it is crucial the community gets to see the cost-benefit analysis, as ...

The Maitland Mercury reports that Premier Mike Baird has refused to rule out the possible development of the Newcastle rail corridor after the train line is removed. … Opposition spokeswoman for the Hunter Sonia Hornery asked Mr Baird to postpone the rail cut until after the election and guarantee that the rail corridor would not ...

The Newcastle Herald reports that the government has released its route map for the replacement shuttles that will run for more than two years while a new Wickham interchange is built and light rail installed. [SOR: no business case released for light rail — will it ever happen?] A SHUTTLE bus service will run between ...

Facts Trains from Boxing Day 2014 will terminate at Broadmeadow. As Hamilton becomes serviceable some trains may continue to Hamilton. Buses will pick up on the southern side of Broadmeadow station in the area where the Taxis now stand. The taxis are to be relocated with the no position likely to be less favourable to ...

From the University’s who da thunk it department, the Newcastle Herald reports on the traffic and parking chaos to come from the University of Newcastle’s CBD campus. The article omits to mention that Civic Station sits opposite the new campus. A PhD is not required to work out that by keeping the existing rail to ...

The Maitland Mercury reports that the people of Maitland will finally have their voices heard after a parliamentary committee to ­investigate planning decisions in Newcastle, including the rail cut, was established. … “From what the people of Maitland have told me and my colleagues is that no one wants to catch the train almost to Newcastle.” ...

The decision to terminate the Newcastle heavy rail line at Wickham will be examined by the planning inquiry committee, reports the Newcastle Herald. A COMMITTEE set up to inquire into contentious Hunter planning decisions, including the truncation of Newcastle’s heavy rail, could potentially call former MPs Andrew Cornwell and Tim Owen as well as ministers ...

As reported in the Maitland Mercury: The NSW Upper House has supported a motion to establish a parliamentary inquiry into a number of contentious planning decisions in Newcastle. This includes the T4 coal loader and the truncation of the Newcastle rail line. Greens MP David Shoebridge’s motion to establish a select committee was passed on ...

This report in the Maitland Mercury includes an online poll. Vote YES in support of reversing the rail cut decision. A parliamentary committee will investigate planning decisions in Newcastle, including the rail cut, if Greens MLC David Shoebridge gets his way. He believes he will have a majority when he puts a motion to Parliament ...

Proposals won’t benefit our city (via letter to the Newcastle Herald): … And I can’t see how removing the rail line will ‘‘marry Honeysuckle to Hunter Street’’. Planning Minister Pru Goward has revealed plans for another row of buildings on the rail corridor. No transport expert I know of has endorsed removing the rail. Is ...

A parliamentary inquiry into contentious Hunter planning decisions, including the truncation of Newcastle’s heavy rail, looks set to go ahead with the crossbench indicating it will provide the key support needed to set it up, reports the Newcastle Herald. The Christian Democrats and the Shooters and Fishers MPs, who share the balance of power in ...

A Bellbird man has urged the Coalition state government to delay the Newcastle rail line closure until after the March election, reports the Maitland Mercury: … “This current plan to remove the heavy rail into Newcastle beggars belief,” he said. “This facility services the people of not only Newcastle but the entire Hunter Valley and ...

Don’t dismantle public transport (via letter to the Newcastle Herald): ASIO  tells us that Australia’s terror alert should be raised from medium to high, indicating an attack is likely rather than possible. But our NSW Minister for Transport is racing to destroy the core public transport system of a highly strategic Australian city before anyone ...

People travelling from Maitland, Dungog and the upper reaches of the Hunter had to contend with scheduled track work on the Newcastle line last weekend, as reported in the Maitland Mercury: Commuters from the greater Hunter have had a taste of ­public transport difficulties ahead of the planned closure of Newcastle rail line. People travelling ...