Welcome to the "new and improved" Wine Country

BY RACHEL STORER

Already one of the most popular wine regions in the country, the Hunter Valley is welcoming developments from local council and federal government that will help increase tourism and exports.

The multi-million dollar upgrade to Broke Road and Hermitage Road was unveiled yesterday after 12-months of construction and includes improvements to the road surfaces, a tourist information bay and a 10.6 kilometre cycleway.

The joint venture between Cessnock and Singleton Councils was funded by a successful bid for $16.7 million from the NSW Government "Resources for Regions" program.

The wine region is also welcoming a share in the Australian Government's $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package.

The funding will be spread throughout regional wine areas and aims to increase wine exports and international tourism.

Among the program $3 million grants will be made available to smaller wineries looking to branch into the export market while other funding will also be given to develop regional wine tourism and cellar door experiences.

Cessnock City Mayor, Bob Pynsent believes the Hunter is well deserving of new infrastructure and funding.

"Improving the roads in the vineyards precinct is so important to the amenities for tourists and the inclusion of a cycleway certainly gives diversity to the activities tourists can do," he said.

Cr Pynsent said Cessnock City Council is committed to doubling the overnight accommodation numbers by the year 2020 and believes all these initiatives work together to assist in attracting tourists to our area.

(L-R) Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon, Upper Hunter MP Michael Johnson, Singleton Mayor Sue Moore and Cessnock Mayor Bob Pynsent test out the new cycleway. (Image: Cessnock Advertiser)

Cessnock Council on board with freight rail corridor

BY DANIELLE RIES and JESSICA ROUSE

Released earlier this month, a report from Infrastructure Australia revealed the Hunter Valley freight rail corridor is one of seven corridors in Australia which should be protected.

Cessnock City Council has welcomed and supported the finding that protecting the corridor for the future will benefit the community long term.

Mayor Bob Pynsent believes it to be vital to the future of the Hunter from both an economic and connectivity perspective and would particularly like to see progress on the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor.

Mayor Bob Pynsent Image cessnockadvertiser.com.au

"The opportunity to grow transport for infrastructure links right across the Lower Hunter and as I said as our population grows we need those infrastructure projects to enable the connectivity between the regions."

Transport NSW has undertaken preliminary investigations into the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor and have identified a number of key benefits including improving congestion and urban amenity in Newcastle.

"As our local government area grows, the demand for train connection with Newcastle becomes imperative and preservation of the corridor will certainly assist in that," said Mayor Bob Pynsent.