Newcastle and Central Coast Transport

[lowey]

Repair bill tops $379m: rising cost of our crumbling infrastructure
BY BEN SMEE CIVIC REPORTER
17 Jan, 2012 08:24 AM
THE cost of bringing Hunter council assets up to scratch has blown out by a further $50million over the past two years, with a staggering $379million needed to address the region’s growing infrastructure crisis.

Annual financial statements for Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Maitland, Cessnock and Port Stephens councils show more than $100million is needed each year to prevent public roads and buildings from falling into further disrepair.

Newcastle City Council, which has an acknowledged problem with its crumbling public buildings, has the region’s biggest works backlog.

According to its annual report, the council needs $122million to bring its assets to a satisfactory standard.

Council city assets director Steve Edmonds said Newcastle was unique.

‘‘Most councils have problems with roads and bridges, but we’ve got problems with our buildings,’’ he said.

The crumbling facade of Newcastle City Hall has contributed to the increased bill.

The Newcastle Herald reported in November that the cost of repairs to City Hall, which has gone decades without major work or refurbishment, had blown out to $28million.

Cessnock City Council, which has about a quarter of the revenue of Newcastle, has a $112.3million backlog.

Most of the cost, a staggering $104.6million, is attributed to Cessnock roads.

The state of roads in wine country has been a controversial issue, especially considering the demands placed on infrastructure by a growing number of blockbuster concerts in the area.

The state government has promised $20million towards Cessnock roads, and the council has called for increased funding under the federal government’s Roads to Recovery program.

Lake Macquarie needs $66.9million to fix its assets, including $54million needed for its local roads. Roads are also the major problem for Maitland and Port Stephens councils.

In Maitland, roads require $46.5million out of a $52million backlog. Port Stephens has a total backlog of $26.8million, of which $20.1million is needed for roads.

The term ‘‘infrastructure backlog’’ has become common in the past decade, after consultant Percy Allen conducted reviews into NSW councils’ capacity to provide infrastructure.

Each of the five lower Hunter councils has increased rates above the pegging level, or plan to do so next financial year, partly in an attempt to bring the infrastructure crisis under control.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...e/2421929.aspx

[lowey]

Roundabout before housing in Boolaroo
BY DAMON CRONSHAW, LAKE MACQUARIE REPORTER
31 Jan, 2012 04:00 AM
A ROUNDABOUT for the intersection of Boolaroo’s main street must be built before any houses in the Pasminco redevelopment, Lake Macquarie City Council staff said last night.

Pasminco administrator Ferrier Hodgson applied to the council to subdivide 14 hectares before building the roundabout.

Council development manager Steve Brown said the council would not allow that to occur.

Controversy erupted in Boolaroo last year when residents discovered that Ferrier Hodgson was planning to close the main road into Boolaroo, and realign the road system to suit its development.

Council officials, under heavy criticism for giving preliminary support for the plan, back-pedalled quickly to dump it. In its place, a roundabout proposal emerged.

Councillors approved last night a ‘‘Pasminco area plan’’, with the roundabout a key aspect.

The Newcastle Herald reported yesterday that the Boolaroo Action Group wanted the roundabout built before any development.

Cr Barry Johnston, with Mr Brown, confirmed that would occur.

‘‘The roundabout would have to be built before any housing,’’ Cr Johnston said.

Mayor Greg Piper said it was a ‘‘very good result and certainly not easy’’.

Cr Piper said the NSW Roads and Maritime Services, formerly the RTA, had been concerned about building such a large roundabout.

After negotiations and redesign, the roads department relented and gave approval.

The roundabout will be built at Main Road’s intersection with TC Frith Avenue, which is part of west Lake Macquarie’s main state road.

It will allow access through council-owned land to Cockle Creek Railway Station.

With the roundabout problem resolved and Ferrier Hodgson having agreed to finance it, the council will turn its attention to finding money to extend Munibung Road.

Cr Wendy Harrison said the road extension ‘‘appears to be at a stalemate’’.

The extension would run from the Cardiff industrial estate through the Pasminco site to the new roundabout, providing a new route that would take pressure off other busy state roads.

With Ferrier Hodgson asserting that such a large road is beyond its responsibility, the council must look within or to other levels of government for the $6million needed for the job.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...o/2438009.aspx

[lowey]

Multi-million dollar overhaul for Kurri electricity network
25 Jan, 2012 10:11 AM
The electricity network serving the Kurri township will be completely replaced over the next 12 months, providing more power to homes and businesses and upgrading equipment built more than 50 years ago.

Ausgrid Newcastle Area Manager Greg Skinner said the electricity network could no longer reliably supply the growing township.

“Much of the original local electricity network has been in service since the 1940s,” Mr. Skinner said.

“It has performed well over the years, but it is time to replace much of the equipment, especially with new residential and commercial developments also putting more demands on the network.

“This upgrade will boost power supply by about 30 per cent. We will replace about 100 poles, install 12 kilometres of new, more resilient cables and replace 100 streetlights with energy efficient CFL light bulbs.

“It will mean a better power supply for the local community but will also improve the streetscape for everyone.”

The $10 million project will take about 12 months to complete over five stages. The first part of the upgrade has started in the southern residential areas of the town.

The work includes:

Replacing and upgrading pole-top transformers in Deakin, Alexandra and Brunker streets;

Installing new transformers in Alexandra Street north and at the Brunker/Boundary Street intersection;

Installing 12 kilometres of special bundled electricity cable that will be resilient to blackouts caused by trees or animals;

Installing 20 new connections between substations;

Removing over 100 older style streetlights and replacing them with more energy efficient lights; and

Replacing approximately 100 power poles.

Ausgrid will be writing to all customers affected by the work to keep them updated with the upgrades, and will provide project updates on its Facebook page and website.

http://www.cessnockadvertiser.com.au...k/2432174.aspx

[lowey]

Newcastle Airport work a priority
BY SARAH PRICE
18 Jan, 2012 01:00 AM
NEWCASTLE Airport is one step closer to securing $2.2 million from the federal government to help pay for the reconstruction of a badly damaged taxiway.

The taxiway reconstruction was announced as one of three projects in the Hunter to move onto the final stage for a share of the federal government's $200 million Regional Development Australia Fund.

The airport's aviation and business development manager David Nye said the airport was seeking 50 per cent of the $4.4 million it would cost to reconstruct the taxiway from the fund.

The other half would be covered using existing airport funds.

The taxiway in need of the work is one of two transit ways which connects the airport parking apron and terminal with the runway.

It will also be the first stage of an aircraft transit taxiway to the earmarked Williamtown Aerospace hub to be built at the south of the airport.

Mr Nye described the proposed work as "urgent" as the low structural integrity and maintenance costs were increasing to a point where it was no longer cost effective to repair it.

"Everytime we have to patch the existing taxiway it normally means closing it fully for a week," he said.

"This causes inconvenience for the airlines and slows down operations."

http://www.portstephensexaminer.com....y/2424089.aspx

[lowey]

Hunter push for high-speed rail
NEIL GOFFET
04 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
THE Hunter should be first in line for a station on a high-speed east coast rail network.

That is the message from a consortium of business leaders, government officials and politicians from within and outside the region.

A working party headed by the Hunter arm of Regional Development Australia is pushing for the opening stage of the rail network to link Newcastle, Sydney and Canberra.

The federal government estimates that building a high-speed line between the three major cities would cost between $22billion and $37billion.

The government carried out a $20million feasibility study, funded as an election promise, exploring options for a very fast train network from Brisbane to Melbourne.

It was estimated the price tag for the entire project would be between $61billion and $108 billion. About 54million passengers were predicted to use the rail link by 2036, but the relatively small population made the cost difficult to justify.

Phase two of the government’s commitment to the project involves making decisions on routes and stations while examining the engineering possibilities and financial viability.

Hexham and Cameron Park have been named as possible station locations.

The train would travel at between 200 and 350kilometres an hour, with commuters paying $16.50 for a ticket between Newcastle and Sydney. Passengers would be in Sydney in 40minutes and Canberra about an hour later.

Regional Development Australia Hunter chief Todd Williams said the concept – floated over three decades – was often dismissed as political electioneering but planning was now in stage two and he believed it was time to take a stand.

‘‘We’ve got the support of business leaders and politicians in Canberra, Sydney, the Hunter and beyond,’’ he said.

‘‘We are leading a working party to Canberra to offer our support for its construction and to highlight the fact Newcastle to Canberra must be the first section delivered.

‘‘We are not going there to talk about the semantics of the project with regard to where stations will be built and that sort of thing – we are going to make sure that they start here.’’

The lobby group includes the NSW and Hunter business chambers, Canberra Business Council, Hunter Development Corporation, Regional Development arms in the Hunter, Central Coast, Sydney Southern Inland, mid-north coast and ACT, and Newcastle and Canberra airports.

The consortium will meet with Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean on February 15, and both sides of politics are offering their support.

State Liberal member for Newcastle Tim Owen said he would ‘‘bend over backwards to help make this happen’’.

‘‘Newcastle should be, and must be, the first cab off the rank when the high-speed rail goes ahead,’’ he said.

Hunter Business Chamber president Richard Anicich said the train would have significant economic and social benefits for the region.

‘‘Constructing a high-speed rail network on the east coast of Australia is a monumental undertaking and one that has the full support of the Hunter Business Chamber,’’ he said.

‘‘This is a long-term, visionary infrastructure project that needs detailed planning.

‘‘The opportunities for the Hunter are exciting and business in the region stands ready to partner in this project.’’

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...px?storypage=2

[lowey]

Moving people on coal lines
BY MATT CARR
08 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
KEEPING room for passenger train expansion on the Hunter’s busy freight rail routes is crucial to fixing the region’s transport woes, an inquiry has found.

The Hunter Independent Public Transport Inquiry has released its draft final report, laying out a blueprint for improving commuter numbers and travel times in the region.

Inquiry convener Ed Duc said that mining freight’s demand on the Hunter’s rail lines could limit chances to add more passenger trains unless a plan was put in place.

The inquiry has recommended the three tiers of government prepare a long-term strategy.

‘‘If we start getting more coal trains through on the passenger routes, you are going to find the capacity of the rail system limited,’’ Mr Duc said. ‘‘They’re going to have to rationalise [if that happens.]’’

A proposed western freight bypass between Hexham and Fassifern would help relieve some of that pressure, he said.

‘‘If you can [build] that, it relieves the Adamstown gates and it means a lot of things get fixed,’’ Mr Duc said.

The strategy recommends transport interchanges at Glendale and Hamilton East and more frequent and predictable bus services.

‘‘What this means is if you miss one, you’re only hanging around for 10 or 15 minutes,’’ Mr Duc said.

‘‘People will wait 15 minutes, but they won’t wait 20.’’

But the divisive Newcastle rail line’s future would be a matter for the design phase of the Hamilton East interchange, the strategy’s authors believe.

Light rail is unjustified unless the line eventually extends further, the inquiry has found, with a longer route running towards Wallsend and the university one possibility put forward.

‘‘There’s need for another major spine of rail-based public transport,’’ Mr Duc said.

Failing that, the report considers stopping Sydney services at Hamilton and running shorter trains through the city centre to reduce traffic crossing queues.

Newcastle MP Tim Owen said he planned to meet members of the inquiry’s steering committee to discuss their findings.

‘‘There are some reasonably good ideas in there, and they’re not far from [projects] we’ve been taking about,’’ Mr Owen said.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...s/2447327.aspx

[lowey]

Tenders called for Broke Road work
08 Feb, 2012 10:00 AM
Work is progressing well on plans to upgrade roads in the Hunter wine region, as part of the NSW Government’s commitment to provide $20 million across four years.

Nationals Duty MLC for Cessnock, Trevor Khan, said this financial year the NSW Government has allocated $5 million to start work.

“Cessnock City Council will invite tenders this week to upgrade a 700 metre section of Broke Road about 400 metres west of Wine Country Drive at Pokolbin,” Mr. Khan said.

“This project will complete the upgrade of Broke Road between Wine Country Drive and McDonalds Road.

“The completed upgrade will improve road safety and provide a wider and smoother, road surface for all motorists, resulting in reduced ongoing maintenance costs.

“This is the first project to be delivered as part of the new package of work to upgrade Broke Road.

“Work is expected to start on the road upgrade in April 2012.

“This project confirms the NSW Government’s commitment to maintaining the important roads connecting the Upper Hunter and the wine region,” Mr. Khan said.

http://www.cessnockadvertiser.com.au...k/2448119.aspx

[skytea]

So if Newcastle removes the rail are they planning on replacing it with light rail? Will there still be inter-city rail?

[Fabian]

Concerns over the proposed upgrade of Glendale Railway Station.

NBN News (13/2/2012): http://www.nbnnews.com.au/index.php/...-interchanged/

[Cell.Phone]

My only concern is with the mental stability of federal government, I mean really for a city that produces alot of money for the state, and the country you would think 25 million dollars wouldn't be that much

[lowey]

Call to lighten traffic through Belmont
DAMON CRONSHAW
16 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
ON a bad day, it can take 25 minutes to travel 3.5kilometres through nine sets of traffic lights from Belmont South to Belmont North.

The traffic has become increasingly worse with population increase and lack of action from authorities.

Lake Macquarie councillor Laurie Coghlan said the traffic lights should be synchronised to allow a smoother flow of traffic in peak hours.

‘‘At 3pm to 4pm and in the morning peak hour it’s crazy,’’ Cr Coghlan said.

‘‘Cars are banked up right through Belmont.’’

Cr Coghlan said it recently took him 25 minutes to travel along the Pacific Highway from Wommara Avenue, Belmont North, to Beach Street, Belmont South.

Google Maps show nine sets of traffic lights between the two streets.

The council approved a traffic study for Belmont in 2004, which detailed a range of options to improve traffic flow.

Cr Coghlan said the study had sat on a shelf.

‘‘I’ve watched a lack of response to Belmont’s traffic problems from the council and state members for 30 years,’’ he said.

‘‘There’s never been a satisfactory response.’’

The council has agreed to write to NSW Roads and Maritime Services asking it to consider synchronising traffic lights.

Swansea MP Garry Edwards said traffic through Belmont was ‘‘abominable’’.

‘‘Traffic planning in Belmont has sadly been neglected for 20 years, since approvals first came through for high-rise,’’ Mr Edwards said.

Mr Edwards said a planned bypass from Glad Gunson Drive, Eleebana, to the Pacific Highway, Belmont, should be reconsidered to remove traffic from Brooks Parade and other busy streets.

Mr Edwards said he would support three- to four-month trials of Brooks Parade as a one-way street and synchronised traffic lights on the highway.

‘‘The ideas may do some good, but we need to test them to see if they have any ill effects,’’ he said.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...t/2457313.aspx

[lowey]

Support for Belmont clearway
BY DAMON CROWNSHAW
17 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
AUTHORITIES should establish a northbound clearway through Belmont along the Pacific Highway in the morning peak hour to improve traffic flow, former Lake Macquarie deputy mayor Rob O'Brien says.

Mr O'Brien, who has worked in Belmont for almost 30 years, said there was a southbound clearway in the afternoon peak hour.

Mr O'Brien said a recent trip from Swansea to Gateshead took him 35 minutes.

The Newcastle Herald reported yesterday that it can take up to 25 minutes to travel 3.5 kilometres through nine sets of traffic lights from Belmont South to Belmont North.

Mr O'Brien supports synchronising traffic lights through Belmont, as well as a northbound clearway.

He had seen many people travelling alone in vehicles during peak hour, which he said was an environmental concern.

Belmont's population had increased with the addition of several new apartment buildings.

Damon Cronshaw

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...y/2458472.aspx

[lowey]

Bridge opens road to Louth Park expansion
FRANCES THOMPSON
13 Mar, 2012 04:00 AM
One part of Maitland’s multimillion-dollar infrastructure backlog has been cleared by the new Trappaud Road bridge at Louth Park.

The bridge is designed for residential expansion in the Louth Park area, Maitland City councillor Philip Penfold says.

Maitland City Council staff say the bridge is expected to come in below its $1.7million estimated cost.

Cr Penfold said the former farming land at Louth Park was one of the areas around Maitland expected to grow substantially, and discussions continued on the size of future lots. Residents have told the council they want Louth Park’s rural character retained.

‘‘Louth Park area has an approximate population of 700,’’ Cr Penfold said. ‘‘At the moment, discussion is taking place with landowners and residents to assess the range of options which could see the area’s population double.

‘‘The council targeted the Trappaud Road Bridge for replacement because the route was an important alternative to the New England Highway as a link between the western and eastern sides of the city.’’

Maitland has had a timber bridge in the same location across Wallis Creek since 1887.

The original bridge was built as a cattle crossing and was replaced in 1936.

Cr Penfold said the new bridge was one of the estimated $40-$50million worth of works considered to be in the city’s infrastructure backlog.

The council considered removing the bridge in 1992 because of its condition, and was not convinced it was worth spending money on a third crossing of Wallis Creek.

But after residents’ lobbying, the council replaced the bridge’s top deck.

The new bridge is two-way, it has been realigned so oncoming traffic is clearly visible and council staff say there will be room for cyclists.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...n/2485337.aspx

[Fabian]

The upgrade of Tuggerah Interchange of the F3 is set to become a reality.

NBN News (16/3/2012): http://www.nbnnews.com.au/index.php/...comes-reality/

[lowey]

Residents call for flyovers to solve the city’s gridlock
BELINDA-JANE DAVIS
22 Mar, 2012 04:40 AM
Maitland residents have called for flyovers to replace the city’s two major roundabouts, as the RMS revealed one million vehicles pass through each roundabout every month at a public meeting last night.

The 70 people who attended the meeting to discuss solutions to the safety and gridlock problems at the roundabouts near Maitland Railway Station and Maitland Hospital applauded the idea which was raised by a community member.

Parent Greg Mutton, whose son Tim Grant suffered a brain injury after a car crash between the roundabouts at Maitland Railway Station and Maitland Hospital in 2006, lashed out at the RMS saying the four options they had presented were nothing more than money spenders.

“All the RMS has done is figure out how to spend $45 million which will do nothing,” he said “It won’t fix the problem.

“The highway needs to be the priority, not Cessnock Road. I didn’t think Cessnock Road was the centre of the universe. Let’s get something that works no matter what the cost is.”

Residents also called for consistency in speed limits between East Maitland and the Maitland Hospital roundabout and wanted reassurance the Hunter Expressway would remove as much traffic from the New England Highway as RMS statistics stated.

Their message was strong. They do not want the roundabouts.

RMS road safety and traffic manager Kevin Webster said the RMS did not have a preferred option to solve the issues and would consider a flyover option.

“We want comment and discussion from the community and we acknowledge the history of traffic cues and crashes at and near the two roundabouts,” he said.

The RMS presented two options for both roundabouts.

http://www.maitlandmercury.com.au/ne...k/2496716.aspx

[Fabian]

The collapse of Reed Constructions has impacted on road upgrades to the Central Coast Highway at Erina Heights.

NBN News (22/3/2012): http://www.nbnnews.com.au/index.php/...owners-fuming/

[hornetfig]

Originally Posted by lowey

Residents call for flyovers to solve the city’s gridlock

How about a bypass? It only costs $1 billion and it'll be open in 18 months...

[jarf]

Originally Posted by lowey

Maitland residents have called for flyovers to replace the city’s two major roundabouts, as the RMS revealed one million vehicles pass through each roundabout every month at a public meeting last night.

Wow, an average of 33,000 vehicles a day? Poor sods.

[lowey]

Go with the flow: Traffic plan for City Road
BY BEN SMEE AND MATT CARR
26 Mar, 2012 04:00 AM
PEAK-hour gridlock on City Road could be fixed with a reversible lane, according to those behind a plan put to Newcastle City Council.

Former Lake Macquarie councillor Rob O’Brien and Newcastle councillor Aaron Buman have backed investigations into building a reversible lane on City Road to ease Pacific Highway congestion.

The plan would create an extra lane through the two kilometres between Scenic Drive and Alice Street that could change directions based on demand. It would be delineated with a movable barrier.

Mr O’Brien said morning traffic was often banked up along the highway from near Scenic Drive all the way to Charlestown.

‘‘The idea [behind the plan] was to do something about the congestion,’’ Mr O’Brien said. ‘‘In Sydney they have contraflow lanes that change based on the time of the day.’’

Cr Buman said the idea could ease congestion along the arterial road before adding permanent lanes became a possibility.

He said it could also reduce traffic on other nearby roads.

‘‘If this can be done it’s going to solve a big problem,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s a significant choke point and [fixing] it would probably stop a lot of people going down Scenic Drive for a short cut.’’

Hunter-based NRMA director Kyle Loades said the idea was worth exploring but required detailed planning.

‘‘This type of contraflow is used successfully in Sydney and measures such as this and priority lanes for two or more people in a car could well be used to further relieve congestion,’’ Mr Loades said.

Charlestown MP Andrew Cornwell said the idea was a ‘‘logical improvement’’ but he would be guided by advice from Roads and Maritime Services, which is understood to be assessing the idea.

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...d/2499805.aspx

[lowey]

End to Adamstown gates delay on the line
BY IAN KIRKWOOD
02 Apr, 2012 04:00 AM
A FREIGHT rail bypass designed to take coal trains away from the Adamstown gates has been threatened by plans for a major coal rail development at Hexham.

To read the Herald's opinion, click here.

A bypass between Fassifern and Hexham has been on planners’ books for decades as a means of improving rail transport and easing motorists’ delays at Adamstown and Clyde Street, Hamilton North.

While an exact corridor had not been set aside, one of the main options had been to bring the bypass across the Hexham swamp on an old coal easement that joins the main northern line near Hexham railway station.

But as the Newcastle Herald revealed last week, a two-kilometre stretch of land either side of the station is being bought by the federally funded Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) to build five coal-train sidings as ‘‘relief’’ lines.

As well, the recently privatised Queensland rail company QR National is planning a major coal-train ‘‘provisioning’’ centre along the same length of track.

Together, the two developments could result in as many as eight tracks being built in parallel to the existing main lines, making it all but impossible for a new rail junction to be built in the area.

ARTC has justified its decision to proceed with the Hexham rail sidings, saying no state or federal government agency had raised the Hexham to Fassifern bypass in various discussions held in the early stages of planning.

Infrastructure NSW chief executive Paul Broad told a business lunch in Newcastle 10 days ago that the Fassifern to Hexham bypass was one of the ‘‘big things’’ needed to ensure the region stayed competitive.

When the Newcastle Herald contacted Mr Broad on Friday, he said he was not aware of the issue at Hexham.

Alerted to the problem, Newcastle lord mayor John Tate said the Hunter had suffered enough already with ‘‘piecemeal’’ planning.

‘‘The delays at Adamstown and Clyde Street are unacceptable already but they will only get worse if the Wallarah 2 mine is built at Wyong and if privatisation of the power industry results in more coal trains going south to the Central Coast power stations, which is always possible,’’ he said.

Academic Howard Dick, an instrumental figure in the recent Hunter Independent Public Transport Inquiry supported by the Herald, said Hexham was potentially important for the bypass, a future high-speed rail line and an eventual rail line from Newcastle Airport at Williamtown.

‘‘You should not constrain those future projects with a set of sidings that don’t necessarily have to be at Hexham,’’ Associate Professor Dick said.

‘‘From a national interest perspective you would try to minimise your project costs and maximise your benefits. If you put the sidings at Hexham you create an unnecessary constraint on your future options.’’

http://www.theherald.com.au/news/loc...px?storypage=2