Cessnock residents are disappointed with an apparent lack of consultation over a proposed change of entrances to the town's Correctional Complex.
It's hoped a new northern access road will reduce traffic at the complex's existing entrance on Lindsay and Mavis Streets, but residents feel there hasn't been enough consultation to ensure the final route won't negatively impact the community.
There are currently three options proposed for the new road, but resident Karen Shearer says the community's preferred option has been taken off the table.
Ms Shearer said residents already deal with congestion and litter from visitors of the centre, and connecting a new access road to existing streets won't reduce traffic but instead will bring the same issues to local streets.
Ms Shearer told 2NUR the access road originally ran through government land, and it should return there again.
"We believe as a community, it would be more fair to the whole community and ratepayers paying for the maintenance of local streets, if it could go through government land straight down to the state road," Ms Shearer said.
"So it would be state jail, state land, state road, Wine Country Drive."
The state government has been planning the switch since 2016, and Cessnock MP Clayton Barr is reportedly yet to see any maps or designs from state officials.
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| Proposed routes for the new access point. Image: Department of Justice |
