FOR decades, successive state governments appear to have been passionately interested in studying the transport needs of the Lower Hunter. Since the 1970s some 30 reports have been commissioned, studying virtually every aspect of the issue including the possible effects of cutting rail links, building interchanges, improving bridges, drilling tunnels through mountains, making new roadways and investing in light rail services.
Most report authors appear to agree that the region would benefit from a more relevant and more integrated transport network, but the frequent rediscovery of these truths by a variety of highly paid consultants has not been sufficient to produce any significant concrete results.
Indeed, it is becoming common for Hunter transport reports to simply vanish without trace into the bowels of the state bureaucracy, never to be seen by the people who might have expected to benefit from their renewed analysis.
A $125,000 regional transport plan that was supposed to form part of the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy, for example, was apparently shelved because the regional strategy "superseded" previous transport studies. It is true that some past transport studies strongly favoured targeting new urban expansion towards established transport corridors, rather than allowing urban growth on isolated greenfield sites and expecting transport to follow. Given the 2006 regional strategy's controversial focus on the development of a handful of major greenfield housing sites, a new line of transport thinking may have been called for.
Two drafts of a "five-year plan" for Lower Hunter transport have apparently been produced by the Ministry of Transport, but these have not yet graced the public domain. Nor has a review of a proposal to use converted diesel train cars as "light rail" operating from a Warabrook terminus.
Apparent government unwillingness to pay for the F3 link to Branxton has led to another, $1 million "Lower Hunter Transport Needs Study" and, hot on the heels of running time and network reviews of Newcastle Buses, the state now plans a study to rationalise public and private bus services in the region.
It is naturally pleasing that the Government is so fascinated by the Hunter's transport needs, but it would be more pleasing still if the fruits of these expensive investigations were to be shared and most pleasing of all to see some positive results for Hunter transport users.
Chorus of praise
NOBODY who has followed the career of the University of Newcastle Chamber Choir will be surprised at the group's victory in the television Battle of the Choirs competition. Established in 1995, the choir has toured overseas four times, performing in such venues as Westminster Abbey and the great cathedrals of Notre Dame, Winchester and St Paul's.
It's a credit to this accomplished choir that, having already won many prizes and accolades, it plans to funnel its television prizemoney into fostering more choirs and community singing projects.
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