The Missing Link For Munibung Road

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The missing link on Munibung Road is right around the corner with construction on the 820 metre stretch of the road set to start in the new year.

Lake Macquarie Council has called for tender submissions to find a contractor for the job which will greatly improve the link between Boolaroo and Cardiff.

Mayor Kay Fraser says it's time the area went back to the boom it once was.

Mayor Kay Fraser, Adam Wakeman and Tony Farrell from the council.

"Obviously it was a huge employment generating area so we're wanting to put back what was there so hence the reason to built the road so we can have the employment generating businesses back in there,"

"We've set the money aside and we actually got some money from the government and that's to open up the old Pasminco land so that will release all of that land and great opportunities for residential and also for economic development," said Mayor Fraser.

The extension runs through the former Pasminco smelter site, and the council hopes the former site will again become a booming economic area like it once was.

The link is also crucial to the development of the Lake Macquarie Transport interchange linking the suburbs.

"Residents travelling in that area, that will cut down on their travel time and it's also another new access for business using that route so tenders will close and we'll probably assess them early in the year and then start building that road," said Mayor Fraser.

Tender applications are open until January 23 next year.

Horror weekend for Port Stephen's koalas

BY DECLAN PAYNE and JESSICA ROUSE

Port Stephen's koala population have had a horror weekend with at least five hit by cars.

Sadly one koala has died, and another is reported to have a fractured leg.

The warmer weather is said to be to blame for the increasing number of koalas on the move and being put in harms way.

Port Stephens MP Kate Washington believes the government could be doing a lot more to stop this devastation to the species.

"What it could be doing and should have done last year is not sell the Mambo Wetlands which is core koala habitat. The other thing the government could be doing is helping support a great initiative which is the development of a koala hospital here in Port Stephens."

She said it's also the responsibility of the community to be more aware on the road.

"We must all take some responsibility and keep a good eye out because our koalas in Port Stephens are under threat. They're under threat from over-development and we must all stay very alert of that fact."

Lemon Tree Passage speed change

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In what some believe is yet another cash grab to raise revenue, the speed limit is changing along parts of Lemon Tree Passage.

The speed limit will be dropped by 10km/hr in some spots from next Tuesday.

It's in a bid to bring down the number of road accidents which happen along the stretch of road. In the five years to December 2015 there were 43 crashes, 33 resulting in injury.

Image portstephensexaminer.com.au

Operation Tortoise all over after a bumper long weekend on Hunter roads

BY JESSICA ROUSE

If you were unlucky enough to be stuck in Easter long weekend traffic yesterday, you certainly weren't alone.

Traffic was crawling along the M1 motorway from Morisset all the way to Wyong for more than 25km, and closer to home in Heatherbrae, the Pacific Highway had its fair share of congestion.

All of the traffic eventually cleared at about 8:30pm last night.

Operation Tortoise wrapped up at midnight after four days of cracking down on speeding, drink-driving and a host of other common offences on Hunter's roads.

Across the region, police handed out over 400 speeding tickets, 1,200 Random Breath Tests (RBT) which found 27 people drink driving.

The state's road toll climbed to 11 over the long weekend, four this year have been on Hunter's roads and includes the 27-year-old man who lost his life in an accident at Brandy Hill last Thursday.

Senior police used the weekend to plead with drivers to slow down and be patient with heavy traffic throughout the state, but it didn't stop some people from putting their lives at risk.

A 19-year-old woman was caught on Newcastle Link Road driving at 143km/h in the 90km/h speed zone on a suspended Learners license on Sunday night.

She was charged with a number of offenses and will face Newcastle Local Court on Thursday 27th April 2017.

Uproar on the coming Singleton Bypass

BY: ARIANA GATTI

                                                [Image sourced: http://bustout.co.nz/Australia/NSW/singleton.htm] 

After a meeting on Tuesday, Singleton Council and the NSW Roads and Maritime Services collectively decided on the route and design of the new bypass through the Singleton area.

With the preferred option now out in the open, the Singleton council are working closely with the State Government to ensure the design incorporates and attends to the needs of the local area.

However, with all route options considered, residents are showing concern to the exact placement of the bypass allegedly crossing through some of their properties.

Mayor of Singleton, Sue Moore says “Council is extremely happy that a decision has been made on the route which will allow this much-needed project to progress”.

“However, there are implications for our residents as well as council in terms of our Local Environment Plan (LEP) and planning strategies”.

“Council will be looking to work with the NSW Government and RMS to ensure the design meets the needs of our community and provides opportunities for our businesses and the economy”, she says.

                

Man in critical condition after M1 Pacific Motorway accident

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Traffic is slowly getting back to normal on the M1 Pacific Motorway at Mount White this morning after a truck hit a rock wall exploding into flames.

Just before 5:30am, emergency services were called to Jolls Bridge on the M1 following reports a truck had hit a rock wall.

Officers from Northern Region Highway Patrol and Brisbane Water Local Area Command attended the scene and are investigating.

The driver, believed to be in his late 30's, was pulled from the truck by passing motorists just as it caught alight.

The man was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics before being airlifted to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition.

Hunter motorists had a long drive ahead of them with traffic backed up for more than 10 kilometres.

All southbound lanes are now open.

State Government Not Prioritising Bypass

By: ARIANA GATTI

Wallsend MP, Sonia Hornery is calling on the State Government to speed up the planning and construction process for the Newcastle Inner-City Bypass.

The Bypass now in its fifth and final stage of planning, has still not had its final plan out on public exhibition.

The Government revealed the concept design and environmental impact assessment in 2014, and is now lacking the gusto to finish for this year.

The Bypass project set to run over a 3.4km section of road near Jesmond and Wallsend, will cost around $280 million.

The Government had promised that construction would begin in early 2017, however there are fears in the Wallsend electorate that the State Government are not prioritising key infrastructure projects that need attention.

“There has been delay after delay on this project with the Government showing more interest in the CBD of Newcastle than the Western suburbs”, says Sonia.

She also says, “The Government needs to prioritise this important missing link in the Hunter’s road network”.

                              [Image sourced: http://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/projects/hunter/newcastle-inner-city-bypass/]

Work begins to improve Richardson Road at Campvale

BY JESSICA ROUSE

One of the busiest roads in Port Stephens, Richardson Road at Campvale, will soon see major improvements with a $1.1 million upgrade.

The NSW Government has provided the funding which will see the shoulders of the road widened, the installation of roadside safety barriers to prevent motorists veering from the road, as well as minor drainage improvements.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald says the improvements are aimed at improving safety along the 1.5 kilometre stretch of road.

"This one is more aimed at safety rather than congestion, but there will be improvements there and it is a very busy stretch of road. Port Stephens Council are undertaking the work on behalf of RMS [Road Maritime Services]."

Work on the road has begun and is expected to completed within 12 weeks, weather permitting.

The majority of the work is being carried out at night between 6pm and 6am to reduce the impact on motorists, with other work such as safety barrier installation being carried out during the day between 7am and 5pm.

A temporary 40km/h speed limit is in place.