Submission Deadline for the Draft Regional Transport Plan for New England North West Approaching Soon
The deadline for submissions is 14 June.
Please do not miss this opportunity to communicate your views on the NSW Government's draft plan, which focuses on additional bus services and cycling infrastructure but does not support the restoration of rail services north of Armidale.
If you do not make your views clear to the planners at Transport for NSW about the need to revitalise the Northern Railway Line from Armidale to the Queensland border, there is little prospect of train services returning to communities north of Armidale over the next 20 years. Is this the transport future we want for our region?
The Draft Regional Transport Plan was prepared and released before the Federal Government's decision to terminate Inland Rail at Parkes. That decision has created a significant gap in future freight movement options between Queensland and New South Wales.
A second north–south rail corridor is needed to complement existing rail infrastructure, and the Northern Railway Line from Werris Creek to the Queensland border is well placed to help meet that need. What is required is the political will from both State and Federal governments to recognise and support this strategic transport asset.
The current pattern of transport investment, with approximately 98 per cent of the NSW transport budget directed towards Sydney, cannot continue indefinitely. Regional NSW deserves a fairer share of transport funding and infrastructure investment.
Regional NSW contains more than 3,000 kilometres of unused rail corridors, including several strategically important lines that were never intended to be mere branch lines. We should not allow long-term transport assets such as the Northern Railway Line to be permanently downgraded or converted into rail trails for limited short-term tourism outcomes.
To have your say, search online for "SRITP New England North West" and access the consultation website. You can upload a submission or place comments directly on the interactive map using the pin feature.
Please make your voice heard before 14 June.