Labor stuck in sad loop on Newcastle bus system

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Newcastle Greens

23 February 2011

Labor stuck in sad loop on Newcastle bus system

The Greens candidate for Newcastle, John Sutton, welcomed the announcement today by the Labor member for Newcastle, Jodi McKay, not to scrap the city’s fare-free zone, but said that the new bus loop service between Hamilton and the CBD was a second-rate and expensive election gimmick.

“Newcastle commuters will be pleased that the government has responded to calls from The Greens not to scrap the fare-free zone, as proposed in its recent TMAP (Transport Management and Accessibility Plan),” Mr Sutton said.

“But much more could be done to improve Newcastle’s public transport system for a fraction of the $500,000 that will be spent on the new Hamilton-Newcastle bus loop service.

“For much less - and using existing spare bus capacity - the current CBD fare-free zone (FFZ) could be extended to cover all bus services to and along Beaumont St, as well as to Darby and Union Streets, including:

· Removal of existing FFZ time restrictions [currently 7.30am - 6pm]

· Extension of FFZ to Beaumont St along Maitland Rd, Parry St and Tudor St using existing bus services

· Extension of FFZ to The Junction along Darby and Union St

· Making the entire Route 201 fare free - servicing areas between Hamilton, Merewether, Bar Beach, The Hill and the CBD to Marketown.

“These initiatives would carry many more passengers, generate far more 'new' passengers at lower cost, and – unlike Ms McKay’s new loop service – would actually help achieve the government’s public transport targets.

“Comments by Ms McKay in the local media today again raise questions about Ms McKay’s understanding and seriousness about reaching Labor’s own public transport targets for Newcastle.

“On ABC radio this morning, Ms McKay stated that the new bus loop “is a way we can help meet that state plan target of 20 per cent of trips (on public transport) at peak hours by 2016” (see: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/23/3146187.htm?site=newcastle&section=news&date=%28none%29).

“In fact, the new service will do no such thing, because – as Ms McKay’s own media release states – the service will be confined to between 9am and 3pm on weekdays (and 9am to 6pm on weekends) and will not even operate during peak hours.

“Contrary to Ms McKay’s claim, the new loop service will contribute nothing at all to achieving the peak hour journey to work targets for Newcastle in Labor’s State Plan.”

Mr Sutton also questioned the patronage forecast figures for the new service, and called on Ms McKay to release the patronage assessment.

“Ms McKay claims to have worked with the Hunter Business Chamber and the Newcastle Tourism Industry Group on this service, but apparently has not even consulted the Hunter Commuter Council, the state government’s own established advisory body for such matters,” Mr Sutton said.

“Newcastle voters are being offered very low quality pork in Ms McKay’s election barrel, and informed voters will see through the spin on the new loop service as yet another Labor failure to deliver efficient and effective public transport,” he said.

How does Labor’s new bus loop service compare to the Fare Free Zone?

	Passengers per year	Cost for trial year	Cost per passenger
Labor’s new bus loop	390,000	$500,000	$1.28c
Fare Free zone	1,560,000	$390,000	$0.25c

The Greens’ extended fare free zone model would have similar costs, and – as the table above demonstrates – would be a much more efficient use of valuable public money than the new bus loop.

Greens Newcastle Election Campaign Office now open

The Newcastle election campaign office was opened today by David Shoebridge (Greens NSW MLC and lead candidate for The Greens Legislative Council ticket).

David Shoebridge (Centre,
Greens NSW MLC and lead candidate for The Greens Legislative Council ticket;
Keith Parsons (right), Greens Wallsend candidate; and me
at the Newcastle campaign office opening

The office is at 403 Hunter St (at the Hunter St entrance to Civic Arcade). The office phone number is: 4929 4992.

The shop front of the campaign office

The Beaumont St pamphlet

Below is a copy of the text of the pamphlet that we are now distributing up and down Beaumont St, to alert business, workers and people who use and love Beaumont St of Labor's plan to cut the street in two. Click here to see the media release.

Labor puts Beaumont Street up for the chop

The current Labor state member for Newcastle, Jodi McKay, is backing a rail plan that would close Beaumont Street’s level crossing, and kill Hamilton’s commercial vitality.

The recent state government plan for cutting the Newcastle rail line at Wickham found that the Beaumont Street level crossing “is required to be closed”¹ to make the plan work, because trains would have to be stabled at Hamilton.

Beaumont Street traders and customers depend on the north-south connection provided by the level crossing across the rail line. Severing Beaumont Street on either side of Hamilton Station would cut a vital artery that feeds the commercial heart of Beaumont Street.

No business impact study has been carried out – or even suggested - for the proposal to cut Beaumont Street in two. As possible “solutions”, the study suggests an underpass or bridge, noting major problems with an underpass.

Imagine how far a bridge over the Beaumont St rail crossing would have to extend along Beaumont Street, and what this would do to the street’s atmosphere, which is so much part of its appeal and commercial vitality.

• If you run a business in or near Beaumont Street, Labor’s plan puts your livelihood under threat.
• If you work in or near Beaumont Street, Labor’s plan puts your job at risk.
• If you enjoy a meal or a coffee at Beaumont Street’s excellent restaurants or cafes, Labor’s plan could ruin this part of your lifestyle.

If you care about the survival of Beaumont Street, contact the Labor member for Newcastle, Jodi McKay, and tell her that Beaumont St can’t be sacrificed to cut the Newcastle rail line.

At the same time, ask the Coalition what they would do about this proposal if they win government, because Newcastle’s only elected Liberal (Councillor Brad Luke) has strongly supported cutting the Newcastle rail line.

And ask the Independent candidate, John Tate, to state his position on this proposal, because he is also on the record as supporting the proposal to cut the rail line.

Like you, The Greens care about Beaumont Street and its contribution to Newcastle’s quality of life.

The Greens don’t support the proposal to cut Beaumont St or the rail line, and we won’t turn our backs on Beaumont Street.

If you care about the future of Beaumont St, Vote 1 The Greens on March 26

1 AECOM, Preliminary Assessment of Newcastle Truncation Wickham Station, 11 November 2010, p.26 (see: http://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/newcastle-truncation-wickham-station).