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Newcastle Community has spoken
Jodi Mackay has stated on air and in the Newspapers that the Newcastle Community has spoken about retaining the heavy rail line and that GPT is not going to get away with holding a gun to the head of the State Government regarding the use of State Government owned Community Land. Jodi is making an assumption that by her support for the save the rail campaign; her public utterances that she supports the retention of the heavy rail line and then her subsequent election to the safe Labor seat of Newcastle, that this is indicative that the people of Newcastle have read more
Comment 1 20 Oct 2008, 11:39 PM
Jodi is totally correct.
Most people on this site have not taken on board the facts.
As normal the lounge chair experts are opening their mouths and just letting hot air create verbal pollution.
1 There is City Centre Plan that has been developed and endorsed after extensive consultation. See the NCC web site for details.
2. GPT is only one developer. Their site is only a very small part of the City Centre Plan area. The GPT site is about the size of the deck of a coal ship.
3 The GPT project is a residential complex with shops, a commercial section and an more…
Comment 1.1 21 Oct 2008, 12:37 AM
Wow Big Fella,
You have given Jodi so many leads that she can work on all the positives and win for our City. By the way maybe you should run in 2011 with such a wealth of knowledge of the issues.
And Vineyards is spelt with an "e" after Vin
Comment 1.1.1 21 Oct 2008, 1:16 PM
He did run in the last local election, stated in the Newcastle management plan... But he won't tell us how he went !... Funny thing I see, when I see his name.... Is the word "Dysfunctional" next to it !
And he wonders why the people of Newcastle want change !
quote - 3 Newcastle peinsula is beautiful and even in its derelict state has so much to offer.- quote
And peinsula is spelt "peninsula"... Is there a happy bone in your body ? makes one think ..
admin Comment 1.1.1.1 Moderator 21 Oct 2008, 2:15 PM
Please everyone, this is clearly a very important issue but can you please try to "play the ball, not the man". As I mentioned elsewhere on this project site, we don't have very many rules but one of them is to respect other participants.
Comment 1.1.1.1.1 21 Oct 2008, 10:55 PM
Removed by moderator. Comment was deemed offensive, inappropriate or spam.
Comment 1.1.2 21 Oct 2008, 10:52 PM
Thanks for the praise.
Sorry about the typos and there is more than the "e" but it was late in the night!!!
Comment 1.1.2.1 22 Oct 2008, 6:07 PM
Hey Bigfeller,
Maybe some journalist experience might get you to spell O.K.
When did you stand? I can't remember a candidate called Bigfeller or was it Rockfeller
Comment 1.2 21 Oct 2008, 7:23 AM
Bigfella you make it sound like there is something we as citizens can do to turn around the fate of the CBD...I disagree entirely. If there was something we could do it would have been done already. No, money is needed, and lots of it. The GPT proposal may not encompass the whole peninsula but it is the start. Once we get people coming back to the city to spend money then other infrastructure will follow...if you build it they will come.
We simply cannot build a community around a railway line that nobody uses.
We already have the natural beauties more…
Comment 1.3 21 Oct 2008, 11:09 AM
Well, i have read your posting, i do not see any merit in most of it. You seem to have contempt for anyone who does not agree with you. The last time i looked around we live in a democracy. No other posts i have read attack you personally for your position. Your ideas are appreciated but you narcissism is not. And again i believe in this democratic society that the rail line too Newcastle inhibits Newcastles progression. In other posts i have put my ideas forward, no need to go over them again.
Comment 1.4 21 Oct 2008, 1:24 PM
Big feller your wrong !
$600 million alone for 2.2km ?? you should read this
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/routes/tramline_extension.html
Adelaide are currently doing it for $31 million on a much larger scale
Comment 1.5 21 Oct 2008, 1:25 PM
I see little in the way of facts, and much in the way of holier-than-thou opinion.
Comment 1.6 23 Oct 2008, 9:05 PM
This is a classic case of tunnel vision. Bigfeller you make some good points but i can't help but notice how blind and one sided they are... maybe i should point out the other side of the story with a response to each of your numbered bullet points.
1)The NCC plan earmarks the west end as the future CBD of the city. This is in line with the NSW state gov's future cities vision released earlier this year. If you support this fact then why would it seem so bad to cut the rail at wickham?
2-5) The issue is much bigger more…
Comment 1.7 24 Oct 2008, 4:08 PM
It's people like you Bigfella that keep this beautiful City suppressed and depressed. You and Jodi would make a great couple. Can't you even see what people are getting at on this site. The people are speaking right now, so it's time for people like you to wake up and smell the roses or move to Hicksville. Maybe go and get some English lessons on the way there.
Comment 1.8 29 Oct 2008, 11:24 PM
"...i could go on and provide lots more proof." I'd be happy with ANY proof, rather than opinions, poorly thought out assumptions, and conjecture.
Comment 2 22 Oct 2008, 10:11 AM
As someone who has travelled to most of the major cities and many minor cities of the world when I came to live in Newcastle some 6 years ago I was amazed to find the roads through the city blocked by a rail line that is hugely underused. I have counted the people who exit the trains at Newcastle station and apart from busy times there are very few passengers. I know that there was a count done some time ago, where are the results of this? This would be important information to add to the decision making process.
Has anyone assessed the cost to business and the community of the time and fuel wasted at the crossings. I have never managed to count the cars and trucks delayed by almost empty trains.
Other cities have small feeder busses, light rail, trams, etc and much thought has already been given to alternatives to the disruption of heavy rail. Come on Newcastle, let us keep up with the times. We could have a fantastic city.
Comment 3 22 Oct 2008, 11:44 AM
However much Jodi would like to spin this issue, it's clearly not GPT who are holding a gun to her head. Based on the voting and comments in this forum, it looks as though the Newcastle electorate is holding the pistol; and if there is no action in the rail line's removal before the next election, they will pull the trigger!
Comment 3.1 27 Oct 2008, 7:09 PM
Actually it is the Labor party that holds the gun. They have been robbing Newcastle and the Hunter (the cash cow for the state) for over 100 years by taking everything (coal), using everything (where are most of the power stations and thank god they didn't give us another steel mill) and giving nothing in return... actually we've been getting the pollution from the above in return.
Lets make public transport more efficient. Get ride of the train line and maximize the usage on the buses.
If they don't we need to make this a swinging seat.
Comment 4 22 Oct 2008, 6:34 PM
The arrogance of Jodi Mckay astounds me,for someone who has no mandate, but for the support of the ex premier and his disfunctional cronies, to be shouting from the roof tops, that she speaks for the people of Newcastle is damn right contemptuous.
The last discussion, re, the rail line offered nothing like the vision of GPT`s proposal, and as such, must be viewed in a new perspective, until then, please as member for us, the people of Newcastle, dont go spouting off jeopardising a potential lifeline for our great city.
Comment 4.1 29 Oct 2008, 11:26 PM
unfortunately, that's democracy at work. If you voted for her or not, she IS our representative.
Comment 5 23 Oct 2008, 2:20 PM
I think this site (and the related discussion on the Herald's comments pages) has brought up some issues that nobody could have expected.
It seems that the CBD Task Force wanted us to weigh up two options:
- Option 1: Remove the line into the CBD.
- Option 2: Retain the line as-is.
It turns out that more people seem to support an unexpected Option 3...
- Remove the heavy rail, but revitalise the city by offering an improved public transport network, preferably including light rail (trams) from an interchange to the CBD.
Prior to this debate, I was very much in favour of keeping the more…
Comment 5.1 28 Oct 2008, 3:18 PM
It all sounds very nice on paper jim but the unanswered question is who pays for it all. GPT, I think not. We can dream of all sorts of options/scenarios but the state is broke, there are far more pressing needs in the community as a whole than replacing a system that is already in place. We will get funding for all of the proposals when hell freezes over.
Comment 5.1.1 28 Oct 2008, 4:58 PM
Well, in that case, it's better to leave the rail line in place until there *is* funding to replace it with light rail.
It's not worth considering ripping up the line if there is no money to replace it with another viable option. That would just lead to more commuters driving their cars to the CBD.
And if there is such a shortage of cash, then there probably wouldn't be the money to build a new terminus station (or expand Wickham to four platforms), or to rejuvenate the rail corridor anyway.
Comment 5.1.1.1 3 Nov 2008, 10:00 PM
Just a quick clarification, the rail does not have to be ripped up, light rail uses same guage & overhead power infrastructure. some surface treatmeant is needed to allow easy pedestrian crossing, but this could be something like the softfall put around tree bases in malls etc.
Comment 5.1.2 29 Oct 2008, 11:29 PM
the federal govt just announced a $10billion stimulus package. Now is the time to be hitting them up for a chunk of cash to do SOMETHING. The problem is not heavy rail - the problem is heavy rail creating a barrier that splits the city from the harbour. What if we could keep the rail but not have a barrier??? Worth exploring???
Comment 5.2 4 Nov 2008, 2:33 PM
So if we go for the Light Rail (Trams) option could we at long last get a link to the Airport that meets every flight
unlike the un-advertised, sometime, bus link?
By the way, Port Stephens Coachlines have said they got no
support from the Ministers office when the tried to supply a full time service.
Comment 6 23 Oct 2008, 10:29 PM
You can say what you like in a safe labuor seat and most people will agree,but Newcastle is still not the same place since the earthquake 20 years ago.We are overdue for some goverment backing in a not so safe labour seat.
Comment 7 24 Oct 2008, 2:07 AM
Removed by moderator. Comment was deemed offensive, inappropriate or spam.
Comment 8 28 Oct 2008, 10:31 PM
Once the rail line is gone the will be a huge price to buy it back if we got it wrong.
There is talk that to replace the heavy rail with light rail will cost too much, i think only for the labour government, with a safe seat.
A Independent will find the money im sure.
If we organise this city properly we will be able to chose the developers we want, not be help to ransom by a company who will be inrecievership in the next couple of weeks, having sacked thier CEO others to follow.
Comment 8.1 29 Oct 2008, 1:33 PM
Developer or no, the newcastle city branch heavy rail line is a huge hole in the tax payers wallet. It will go.
Choose the developer you want hey? What fairyland are you living in? $650m from any developer with other concurrent interests already underway in the region should not be so cynically dismissed. Future employment and "organisation of this city" is tied to developers like these. They are afterall, as I understand, Australia's oldest property developer.
So there are quantities, just not the way you are dreaming of.
Comment 8.2 30 Oct 2008, 9:30 AM
I agree with "Uknown Quantity" in that there is a huge price to pay if we get it wrong. There is also a hugen price to pay even if the line is to be reomoved. This cost will not come from the developer in the centre of much of the discussions. In travelling in many of the worlds great cities rail lines when taken out leave the way open for the less attractive transport elements such as petro type fule driven road transport.
In other major cities there are efficient and widely used underground rail lines. Newcastle will never have one more…
Comment 9 29 Oct 2008, 4:18 PM
Jodie, this survey site is fantastic, i believe you are getting a true reflection of what the people want. At Least 78% of people want the rail line moved back to at least Civic or further. Thank you for asking the question, the people have spoken. Politics is a funny thing Jodie, you have asked the people, and they have answered, please do as your electorate wants. Support the removal of the rail line ASAP!
Comment 10 30 Oct 2008, 5:52 AM
It's not just about Newcastle. It's also about the people from outside the electorate who are already "bringing life" to the CBD and Honeysuckle by travelling there by train to work, shop, eat out, and to the beach from as far afield as Scone, Dungog, Musswellbrook, Singleton, Morrisset and the central coast.
Last time (2006) John Watkins said the government received over 3000 letters not to mention the petitions and emails supporting the retention of rail. That may not seem like many compared to the population but by comparison with representations received by all governments on other major issues, it is huge. It is certainly a stong voice from the community.
Comment 10.1 30 Oct 2008, 8:22 PM
back in 2006 there wasn't as much at stake. Someone certainly had the vision but at that time there wasn't a developer with money to spend offering to spend it in our city. Now it's different and Newcastle is speaking loud and clear about what we want and clearly what we want is the rail line to be cut! I suspect it's what the majority of Newcastle people wanted in 2006 as well.
Get real...we don't want a train we want a great city and if it has to be a choice between the two then the train must go.
Comment 10.1.1 31 Oct 2008, 1:08 AM
Removal of the train line was debated back in the early 1990s. When the debate failed, the then lord mayor said Newcastle's CBD would decline for the next 20 years. How true was his prediction.
An integrated public transport system is a vital part in transforming Newcastle's old CBD into a vibrant modern city centre. Common sense dictates a transport interchange should be located at Wickham and the heavy rail blockade removed and utilised as part of another form of public transport system servicing the CBD and the foreshore without splitting the city in half. Other transport hubs should interact with Wickham, say at Charlestown and Jesmond.
Unfortunately state labor will either do nothing, or make a decision that ensures the CBD dies.
To rejuvenate the old CBD, an integrated development addressing the removal of the heavy rail blockade must be supported. I hope our children grow up to be proud to utilise a living and exciting CBD in a modern city, not wonder why there is no heart beating in the CBD.
Comment 10.2 3 Nov 2008, 10:15 AM
Lets do the math. In 2006, 3000 letters plus petitions and emails supporting retention of the rail "a strong voice from the community". Today on this site, 72,000 comments relating to redevelopment and rail with approximately 75% calling for removal of the rail back to Wickham or further. That roughly equates to 54,000 comments. Times have changed and the silent majority are speaking this time - a roar from the community.