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FEBRUARY 6 2013 WWW.NEWCASTLEPOST.COM.AU
PROUDLY INDEPENDENT PH: 49 610 310
Confusing move Council affirms support for rail line, despite decision being made AMELIA PARROTT
T
he poor public image surrounding public transport in the Hunter has prompted Maitland City Council to reaffi rm its support for the retention of the Newcastle heavy rail line, despite the decision to cut the line at Wickham having already been made. The move comes more than a month after NSW Minister for Planning, Brad Hazzard, announced that the Newcastle inner city rail line would be cut as part of the State Government’s Urban Renewal Strategy for Newcastle. In their submission to the Walking, Riding and Access to Public Transport Draft Report, Maitland City Council said they had “resolved to support retention of the heavy rail line to Newcastle railway station” because of its importance to Maitland residents commuting to Newcastle. The submission also revealed that the existing bus stop network required significant upgrades. Last month, Maitland MP Robyn Parker announced that Maitland would receive $120,000 funding from the State Government to install nine new bus shelters in Rutherford, Telarah, Maitland, Largs and Metford. Labor councillor and public transport advocate, Ben Whiting, said he was happy to hear about the updates to bus stops across Maitland but said more still needed to be done. “I was pleased to hear about the new shelters but a part of me thinks it may just be to appease the people who aren’t going to be able to catch the train into Newcastle when the rail line gets cut at Wickham,” Cr Whiting explained. “Regardless, I will be continuing to push within Council for increased services and better maintenance of existing shelters.”
TRIM FROM TOP Cessnock Councillor, Cordelia Burcham, says it’s time to trim from the top of Cessnock Council, with the organisation allegedly spending over a million dollars a year on five of its executives’ salaries. The Liberal Councillor will put forward a notice of motion at tonight’s meeting proposing that a committee be formed to review the structure of Council...and will also suggest that the current Executive team be downsized from five to four.
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Maitland Councillor Ben Whiting outside Victoria Street station
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