Maitland Liberals Promise to Clean Up Local Public Toilets

BY NIKOLA JOKANOVIC

The Maitland Liberal team has promised to audit and tackle the issue of public toilets being in disrepair if they are successful at the local council election on the 9th of September.

Community members have raised the issue, with many of the area's public facilities being covered in graffiti and litter, unsuitably small, or even unavailable completely.

Although new facilities are planned for Maitland Park, areas of East Maitland and the Riverlink building, key areas such as the popular Stockade Hill remain without suitable amenities.

Mayoral candidate Bob Geoghegan is concerned about the effect the lack of public facilities is having on local businesses, and vows to do something about it if elected.

"In Morpeth, the toilets are much too small and people have to use the facilities at local businesses such as Campbell's Store, which is an added cost to their business."

"I think the thing is to get an audit when council resumes and find out exactly the situation of where they are and how widely they're used, some of them are derelict. The old one down the bottom of Stockade Hill is derelict and permanently closed, I think. All those issues have to be looked at, we have to have a good overall picture of the situation."

Bob Geoghegan. Photo Credit: Maitland Mercury.

Here come Maitland's Liberal candidates...

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

With local government elections drawing nearer, the Maitland Liberals have settled on their team to contest the upcoming council elections.

The party is promising to get back to the basics of local government - roads, rates and rubbish - with a major focus on improving local roads and fixing traffic snarls.

Among the candidates is East Ward candidate Kanchan Ranadive who will become the first Indian National to stand for Maitland Council. The Central Ward candidate is Sally Halliday, Mitchell Griffin is the North Ward candidate and finally, the West Ward candidate is Ben Mitchell.

Mayoral candidate Bob Geoghegan says their East Ward candidate Kanchan Ranadive is particularly concerned about the recent spate of vandalism at local reserves and traffic congestion on Chisholm Drive.

"We've got a small new team, two women two men and interestingly for the first time that I can recall an Indian born candidate in the local government elections in the Maitland area anyway."

Bob Geoghan says on a whole, the Liberal team want to get back to basics.

"Council always has to focus on the main functions of council which are roads, rates and rubbish with the roads in Maitland there are certainly issues with roads, with regards to rates I think we have to always be very conscious of keeping the cost of living down particularly in this era of high electricity prices."

Councillor Bob Geoghegan running for Maitland Mayor

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

With a local election looming in September, Maitland Councillor Bob Geoghegan is today announcing plans to nominate for Mayor of Maitland City Council.

As the endorsed Liberal Party candidate, Councillor Geoghegan is seeking the top position on Council. Citing years of experience with state government, he believes he has the strong working relationships and knowledge of community issues to fulfil the role of Maitland Mayor.

"I think I've got the right combination of energy, and experience, and passion and respect that's needed to be the Mayor of Maitland and to keep the city progressing as it has," he said.

If elected, Bob Geoghegan says there's a number of key issues he'd like to focus on including traffic congestion on the New England Highway, Testers Hollow Flooding and the new Metford Hospital.

"But the one that I've identified initially is the issue of value for money and the cost of living for people. I think the next Council has to be very aware of that and make sure that we get very good value for the ratepayer's money."

He says he hopes he and his team, which will be announced in the coming weeks, have a good chance of being elected.

"I think that's the challenge for me is to convince people that the best result for Maitland would be if I was Mayor. There will be a team announced in the coming week and they are very good candidates and I'm hoping that they will also be elected and they will support me."

Councillor Bob Geoghegan [Image: Maitland Mercury]

Buchanan Road upgrades make way for a safer road

BY JESSICA ROUSE

John Renshaw Drive at Buchanan  is now a whole lot safer for motorists with construction works finally completed.

The nearly $1.2 million dollar upgrade aimed to reduce the risk of crashes by installing roadside and median safety barriers to prevent vehicles crossing over to the wrong side of the road.

Improvements were also made to the road surface and wider median strips have been painted.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald says the works started in May and were completed on budget and on time.

Acting Chair of the Traffic Committee and Maitland Councillor Bob Geoghegan said "It is very good to see the improvements on this road which is getting busier, as it is one of the main roads between East Maitland and the Hunter Expressway".

Image ozroads.com.au

Maitland Councillor Calls For New England Highway Fix

BY IAN CROUCH

Maitland councillor, Bob Geoghegan is calling for the heavy afternoon traffic buildup on the New England Highway at the Maitland station roundabout to be fixed as soon as possible.

The traffic queues coming along the highway from East Maitland often stretch back 800 metres, yet there are no traffic queues for motorists travelling to Cessnock from Rutherford and the city centre, as they both have priority over traffic coming from East Maitland.

He says it means motorists are using Maitland Park and Park Street as 'rat runs', then u-turn on Cessnock Road, sometimes choking the slip lane, so they can keep driving towards Rutherford.

Bob Geoghegan has suggested traffic lights at the roundabout as an easy fix, but Roads and Maritime Service haven't commented on the issue yet.

Maitland Councillor Bob Geoghegan Picture: Maitland Mercury