Newcastle's CBD rail line to close: the government's reasons
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Version 0 of 1. On Boxing Day this year, the NSW government will permanently shut down the commuter rail line which runs into the heart of the port city. It plans to replace the rail line with a light rail service to run from the suburb of Wickham, where the government says it will build a “transport interchange”. It’s all part of the plans to “revitalise Newcastle”. Guardian Australia visited Newcastle to gauge public opinion for this film. The city has already lost two Liberal state MPs and its Liberal mayor at the Independent Commission Against Corruption hearings in Sydney for getting too close to developers. There’s no suggestion of any wrongdoing where the rail line is concerned, but some locals we spoke to in Newcastle said that big development decisions in the city should be reviewed. Below is a response from both the NSW transport and planning departments on questions put to them by the Guardian. Questions put to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment What sort of development proposals will the government be looking at? “As part of the preparation of the urban renewal plan, UrbanGrowth NSW is considering the best uses for land in the rail corridor, including public domain, open space and uses that support housing and jobs. Some areas of rail land are degraded and are located between buildings and are perhaps best suited to uses other than open public space. The planning will take into account community feedback, the existing heritage overlay as well as best urban design practice, to ensure that the renewal of the city centre can begin as soon as rail services are stopped.” Are there any types of developments which won’t be considered? “UrbanGrowth NSW is considering all development that is compatible with surrounding land use and is consistent with the jobs and housing targets set in the Newcastle Urban Renewal Strategy.” Newcastle has severe mine subsidence issues, but as I understand it the area beneath the rail corridor is largely free of such problems. What truth is there to the claims we’ve heard that the rail line is being shut in order to facilitate building developments? “There has been recognition of the need to reactivate Newcastle city centre for many years, following the loss of industry and the ‘flight to the suburbs’ of people over the past 40 years. Access to the harbour front from the city centre has been identified as crucial to attracting people back to the city centre. The existing rail line acts as a barrier for people moving around the city. The removal of the rail line and introduction of light rail is key to the city’s renewal, along with the delivery of new public domain and staged delivery of new development in the city centre.” Although this issue is not specifically affected, have developments in Icac damaged the government’s case for redevelopment of the rail line? “The need to reactivate Newcastle city centre remains, regardless of any developments in Icac. The purpose of opening up the corridor is to reconnect the city centre to the Newcastle foreshore, and along with the delivery of new public domain and the staged delivery of new development in the city centre will bring much needed activity and people back to the city centre.” We also asked NSW transport minister, Gladys Berejiklian, about the proposed start and completion dates, costs, and which companies might be involved in the light rail. Her office provided this statement: “After years of indecision, the NSW government is getting on with the job of revitalising the Newcastle CBD. Truncating the heavy rail line at Wickham and constructing a new fully accessible transport interchange linking to light rail will help reconnect the city with the foreshore and bring jobs, residents and visitors to the Newcastle city centre. A contract has just been awarded for experts to carry out the detailed studies needed for the planning approval process for light rail, with construction expected to get under way late next year. The tender for design and construction of light rail will be awarded next year. Community consultation has just closed on a Review of Environmental Factors for the Wickham interchange. The tender for design and construction of the Wickham interchange will be awarded in the coming months and work is set to get under way at the end of the year Together, these projects represent a significant investment in the Hunter.” |