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Lower Hunter Freight Corridor needs to be state priority, says council

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The opportunity to remove traffic-congesting freight trains from Newcastle suburbs including Adamstown and Mayfield is one of the key benefits that can be achieved, according to City of Newcastle’s submission on the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor. 

Community consultation on the NSW Government project ended on Monday 27 September, with council presenting a detailed response to the recommended route for this significant rail infrastructure. 

The Lower Hunter Freight Corridor will remove most rail freight from Newcastle’s urban area and reduce the number of heavy vehicles on the roads while also cutting network congestion, improving freight and passenger travel times and boosting economic growth across the Lower Hunter. 

Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes said City of Newcastle supported the dedicated freight line, which would bypass Newcastle between Fassifern and Hexham, but wanted to make sure it met the needs of Newcastle and the wider region. 

“We see huge benefits from the development of the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor, and the need to identify and protect land for its future development,” she explained.

“But, it’s crucial the future alignment of the corridor responds to the region’s needs over the long term, particularly in servicing the Port of Newcastle and our emerging Black Hill industrial precinct. 

“Both have been identified as catalyst areas in the Greater Newcastle Metropolitan Plan, with the Port recognised as a ‘global gateway, providing international freight connections’.

“City of Newcastle also seeks assurances that implementation of other important regional infrastructure projects, such as the Richmond Vale Rail Trail, will not be more difficult or costly as a result of the long-term reservation of the corridor, and that there is project integration between the Lower Hunter Freight Corridor, the proposed M1 Motorway extension to Raymond Terrace and the emerging Black Hill precinct.”

While unfortunately the freight rail line is unlikely to be delivered in the next decade, City of Newcastle’s submission also calls for the NSW Government to review key environmental, noise and heritage issues now, rather than leaving them until the detailed design phase. 

This includes consideration of potential impacts on the Hexham Swamp and Pambalong Nature Reserve, and the need to support linkages between environmental lands and broader wildlife corridors in the Black Hill area. 

Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal heritage sites and artefacts that could be affected by the recommended rail corridor must also be assessed and identified now to avoid potential impacts in the future design and construction phases. 

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