The NRMA wants Maitland groups to take a united position to lobby for better roads.
This area is not getting its fair share of road funds, says NRMA director Kyle Loades.
Maitland and the Hunter were short-changed in the latest State budget but the Lower Hunter Transport Needs Study gives an opportunity for the region to lock in funding.
He said the F3-to-Branxton link was a critical part of Maitland’s future, commuters were looking for “park and ride” train options and investment in alternate fuels to wean Australia off crude oil.
“There needs to be greater investment in parking (at Maitland and surrounding train stations),” Mr Loades said after a talk to the Maitland Business Chamber.
“Fifty per cent of our members have said they would travel by parking their car at a train station and taking the train to their destination if the proper facilities were available.
“That means (we need) investment in parking, security personnel, closed circuit television cameras, properly located stations and proper bus transport to and from train stations.”
Mr Loades said the NRMA wanted to rally other organisations, including the Support the Link or Sink lobby group, area business chambers and cycling and pedestrian representatives, to co-ordinate their efforts.
“We are going backwards. The current budget wasn’t good enough,” he said.
“There was only $2 million of new commitments, and that was for planning of the inner-city bypass in Newcastle.
“But I’m very confident (about more funds to come) because I know that our region is growing quickly. We need to continue to focus on putting to government what the regional priorities are in terms of roads and other infrastructure.
“I think it’s important that the NRMA talks to every regional stakeholder to ensure that we are in tune with each other.
“I’m giving a commitment to take it to the next level.”
The NRMA will draft and lodge before Christmas a submission to the State Government for its next budget.
The F3-to-Branxton link, improvements to the New England Highway between Hexham and Maitland and more investment in public transport options were the priorities.
“The major road that runs from East Maitland to Hexham has a congestion issue that is not solved yet.
“Once we see what the solution is to the F3, (which) we won’t know until the end of the year, we can focus on what we need to do to improve that leg.”
As the $1 million Lower Hunter Transport Needs Study brainstorms traffic solutions as wide ranging as tunnels to cycleways and more train lines, Mr Loades said any traffic solution, from the F3 link to a very fast train, needed to make it on to three crucial documents.
“We need to have our major projects listed as priorities with Infrastructure Australia, the State Government’s 10-year infrastructure plan and the (State or federal) budget.”
The Lower Hunter Transport Needs Study will report to Infrastructure Australia by mid-November.
Email a friend
Favourites
Del.icio.us
Facebook
Digg
StumbleUpon
MySpace
Reddit
Newsvine
LinkedIn
Kwoff