The state government has unveiled its plans for Newcastle train station, announcing the site will be converted into a regional market space.
Planning Minister Pru Goward says the idea came from community feedback generated through last year’s ‘Design Newcastle’ project.
“The community told us very clearly they wanted to see Newcastle Station’s valuable heritage preserved, and they wanted unique local spaces like markets to attract people and businesses into the CBD,” she said.
Also in their plans, is the removal of Civic Station to open the rail corridor to the Civic Theatre and Newcastle Council.
A detailed plan will be presented to the community for feedback by mid-year.
Artist impressions of what the Civic precinct will look like.
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WOW! Such Lack of forethought! Increased traffic congestion, no increase in Parking spots, this plan is a NIGHTMARE….
The Liberal Party of AUstralia needs to be ousted FOREVER. They are a virus of Australia.
I’m not sure where you are getting your information from, but we will be getting an increase in parking spaces when this project is allowed to fully move forward. Wickham and the West End will be getting more parking. Please read the plans for this before throwing around incorrect statements. And there is no increased traffic congestion, and I doubt it’ll be that bad once trams are in considering trams are designed to move with the traffic. I live in the CBD and can say the changes have been fantastic so far. The sky is not falling in Mark. And what did Labor exactly do for Newcastle in 30+ years except for displaying widespread infighting and corruption also? Please back up your claims with some evidence, as the plans contradict your statement.
Thank you.
How are they planning to get people to the markets without a train? The community wants trains to take people into Newcastle and a vibrant range of shops and markets for them to enjoy when they get there.
Instead of wasting money on converting the station to another purpose, they should do something to upgrade Hunter Street so that people will make the trip into Newcastle. At the moment, the West End is dead and disgusting. The area around Civic is lovely for the theatre-goers but other than the brasserie there are no restaurants and cafes nearby for a meal before the show. I fail to see how closing the railway will change any of this.
I have no confidence that the light rail will eventuate. After all, when the trams were removed from the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, it took more than thirty years for them to build the promised railway and even then, they stopped at Bondi Junction instead of going to Maroubra, which was the original plan.
Where is the budget for the rejuvenation of Newcastle? Where is the environmental impact statement? What is the timeline for the creation of a light rail corridor? What will be the route for the light rail? How will the traffic flow be affected by the trams? What will the implications be for parking? None of these questions have been addressed. We just get an artist’s impression that bears no relationship to the area it’s meant to represent and we’re supposed to be grateful!
It’s time to put the trains back where they belong and start thinking about practical solutions for a problem that is decades old. Newcastle could be beautiful again and when the university moves into the city it will bring people and business opportunities with it, thus providing the revenue needed to revitalise the city. However, the students will need trains that stop at Civic. They will need places to eat and socialise. They will need quiet spots where they can study. All this is possible if the government stops trying to placate the developers and starts listening to the needs of the people.
A scrappy little kids park on already existing greenspace and a mass of high rise buildings blocking both the foreshore and the cathedral. No vision and done dirt cheap so developers can profit. For this they have sold the harbour to Chinese interests. I only hope they get the toss at the March elections and Labor hold to their promise to reinstate the railway.
Given Queenslanders overwhelmingly rejected privatisation last week, is this government sure it’s making the right decision here with a deal favouring the Property Council?