Destiny in our Hands

 The Property Council of Australia has welcomed the announcement this morning by The Hon. Andrew Constance MP, NSW Minister for Transport & Infrastructure, that Transport for Newcastle will be created.

Hunter Chair, Ed Crawford, said it meant for the first time ever that the region would be in control of its own public transport destiny.

“The Property Council put a series of recommendations to the Minister some time ago, which were subsequently adopted unanimously by Newcastle Council and the Hunter’s Labor MPs”

“Chief among those was the need for Government commitment to an integrated, multi-modal transport network”

“That means getting all the services – light rail, buses, ferries and interchange – under one umbrella”

“It is the only way to deliver an efficient system that puts the commuter first”

“We also made the case for a Hunter based transport body that determined public transport outcomes, rather than being dictated to by Macquarie Street”

“Community groups and all sides of politics followed our lead on that being fundamental to increasing public transport patronage across the region”

“I expect the Minister’s announcement will be widely applauded”

“The Minister’s announcement will accelerate expansion of the light rail system to Broadmeadow and Callaghan – another part of the public transport discussion we’ve led”

“The experience of other cities who are global leaders in public transport proves that an integrated model, backed by private sector expertise leads to further network enhancements.”

“Globally competitive cities are connected by integrated transport”

“Those networks attract sustainable density, increase the stock of affordable housing and improve liveability”

“Finally, Newcastle commuters get what they deserve – world’s best practice in public transport design, build and delivery”

Media contact: Ed Crawford | M 0431 365 780 | E [email protected]