Tuesday 26 July 2016

New Plans to Preserve Newcastle Rail Corridor

BY BRIDGET GUNN AND JESSICA ROUSE

Newcastle Greens Councillors are set to put forward a motion at tonight's council meeting to zone the entire railway corridor as Special Purposes Transport Infrastructure.

The proposal will include allowances for open space transport modes such as pedestrian crossings and cycleways as well as pop up installations and cafes.

Councillor Therese Doyle says the imminent council amalgamations will take the zoning decision out of elected councillors hands.

"The problem with UrbanGrowth's proposal is that it puts development right across the corridor that can be used for public transport purposes, and if we go ahead with UrbanGrowth's proposal, there will be no turning back for Newcastle to have an efficient transport system," says Doyle.

"Premier Mike Baird promised that the decision on the re-zoning of the railway corridor would be up to Council, and we want to keep him at his word, but if we are sacked the only representative of Council that will be making that decision will be an un-elected administrator."

Councillor Therese Doyle and Greens MCL David Shoebridge
discussing the rail corridor plans
Source: The Newcastle Herald