Noone can imagine a CBD city with no train station. The idea is orthodox of offering development with pulling transpotation back. Modernisation is to encourage public trasport to save engery n fuel. In fact it sud be plan on pattern of all developed cities. Offices n entertainment on top with train station underground. Thanks Rakhra Gagandeep. SE 6 – Judith Galvin Please include attached Submission (Sept. 1 2015) in planning process for Newcastle Dr Judith Galvin Submission – Proposed Transport Corridor Options Urban Growth NSW. Comments - Dr Judith Galvin N.B. Highest Priority - Light rail should run along existing rail corridor, rather than down Hunter and Scott Streets. Restrict the height of buildings in the heritage city centre (Newcastle East End) to a maximum height of 24 metres (approximately 8-stories) as agreed to in the original LEP 2012, before the 2014 amendments were approved. Any development in this precinct should be appropriate, i.e. sympathetic and respectful of existing heritage buildings. Any new development should respect the natural topography of the city and the scale of existing low-rise buildings. Any building development on the northern side of Hunter Street, King Street or Scott Street should not overshadow buildings on the southern side of the street. Without an adequate public transport and parking plan, transport and parking difficulties that have escalated in the CBD since the truncation of the heavy rail services should be addressed. The Revitalise Newcastle Community Engagement Program should include GPT/ Urban Growth’s Newcastle East End Project, it being a fundamental aspect of any future plan for the city. The original LEP 2012 should guide future planning for Newcastle. This planning document was widely supported by residents and business alike, after an exhaustive, inclusive and transparent consultation process. Relocating the Botanic Gardens, currently situated at Heatherbrae, into the city would not only create a wonderful open space for the community but also further enhance the city as a tourist destination. Many major cities around the world have Botanic Gardens/gardens in the city centre and these are major tourist attractions as well as green oasis and 'lungs' for the city. Indeed the bigger the city the greater impact these gardens have for the positive feel of the city. Imagine the Botanic Garden located along the vacated railway corridor that flows onto the harbour and is within walking distance to Nobbys Headland and our beautiful beaches. Coupled with cafes, restaurants and shops nearby it would provide a complete experience for both Novocastrians and visitors alike. With an increasing number of cruise liners coming to Newcastle, imagine standing on a deck and seeing our city for the first time with its green space and the city beyond before disembarking and strolling around these spaces. At present the Botanic Gardens are on an isolated part of the highway, only accessible by car and are prone to mosquito infestation because they are built on reclaimed swamp land. Staff and dedicated volunteers have created a wonderful space there but it could be so much better if relocated and integrated into the city to be accessed and appreciated by a greater number of people. With the railway line soon to be cut, now is the perfect opportunity to make the Botanic Garden a more prominent feature of the city, provide a green space that is both recreational and educational and further enhance Newcastle's reputation as a desirable tourist destination. Helen Gayner. I and we think as a family the only way Newcastle is going to be a Great Better City and Grow in the Best way for people of the Hunter is to put the rail back into the city place gated crossings in where the new crossings are and expand the rail up into the outer hunter like to Cessnock as this would allow people better transport in to Newcastle and to the beaches and help build a better city. Also will save the State millions which should be put into our Health system for a Better State of New South Wales. And allow a better travel time to Sydney which is for the Better for Everyone. But with Great sadness I personally the NSW Government don't really care about the people of the Hunter or other parts of NSW. Why else would not save millions and Keep the Trains running into what was once A great city of Newcastle and our Towns of the Hunter Valley and Our State. Rich Genge. My submission is about the proposed Wickam interchange. I am confused. I thought one of the major reasons for cutting the heavy rail line was to allow the traffic on Stewart Avenue to be less restricted . Especially in peak periods because during these times traffic banked up to rediculous distances around this intersection in all directions. As i look at the artists impression of the interchange it stands out to me that we will still have this problem. The light rail will delay traffic as it crosses Stewart Ave. I think the obvious solution is to have the heavy rail stop on the west side of Stewart Ave as proposed then the light rail begin on the east side. With an overhead inclosed walkway with disabled access for people to cross Stewart Ave safely and allow traffic to be unimpeded. Stuart Giffney. The decision by the state government to install light rail along Scott Street instead of using the existing rail corridor is a decision which will have an extremely disastrous impact on the residents of Newcastle. The only people who will benefit from this money making decision are the developers and the states coffers. If the train service must be stopped and I haven't heard of a sound reason for this, then use existing infrastructure to install light rail. Why don't the state government/urban planning listen to the people of Newcastle? Haven't they taken enough out of our city ? Let us have something left that is important to us! Wendy Goodman. We now have the opportunity to install light rail in the existing rail corridor. A plan to extend the light rail to Nobby's Beach and out to the university via Westfield Kotara should also be explored. I disagree with any high rise development plans in the existing rail corridor. Tracey Gordon. SE 30 – Sasha Goulding Sasha Goulding 9/161 Scott St, Newcastle, NSW, 2300 Email: [email protected] 18/09/2015 Please find attached my submission regarding the Newcastle Urban Transformation and Transport Program. I will also copy it into this email in case you have trouble opening it. Please contact me on the above email if you require any clarification. Sincerely Sasha Goulding 18/09/2015 Part 1 - My submission is that the following decisions should be taken: 1. Locate the new light rail within the existing rail corridor and adaptively re-use existing train stations as light rail stations. 2. Adopt the Greeenway Option subject to point 1 above. Part 2 - Key Reasons for making this decision are: 1. Locating the light rail within the existing corridor will be logistically simple. More importantly it will cause the least traffic and economic impacts, and thus fewer impacts for local businesses, visitors and consumers, and local residents. 2. Lengthy legal challenges are almost certain with the other options. As such this option would be achieved in the least amount of time, at the lowest cost and with the least risks/greatest certainty taking into account the complexity and costs of achieving planning approvals. 3. The win fall from the upfront capital revenue injection achieved by the lease of the Port asset must be wisely used to avoid waste through poor decisions and risky ventures by a government openly committed to its budget position. 4. The light rail on Scott St instead of in the existing rail corridor will increase traffic congestion and create a barrier to pedestrian access between the CBD and the waterfront. 5. The option proposed here would benefit visitors, existing businesses and existing residents whereas the other options proposed favour prospective residents to the detriment of visitors and existing businesses and residents. 6. Visitors will travel to experience a world class Greenway option, they will not travel to see mixed use development and residential buildings. Bordeaux’s greenway and light rail stretch between its harbour and CBD is a great example of what can be achieved simply. 7. There is a very limited amount of open space in the Civic and CBD area, but there are a substantial number of heritage and historic buildings in need of renovation. Surely we should be investing in renovating our original buildings instead of using our valuable open space for development. 8. Newcastle Council and the NSW Government have been very disappointing in their failure to include an option for the new light rail to go along the existing rail corridor. They have obviously chosen to omit it deliberately, knowing that this would be the preferred option in the community they are supposed to represent. Additional considerations against options other than what is proposed include: 1. Traffic problems and logistical nightmares currently being experienced as a result of the termination of trains will be further exacerbated, and for extensive periods, if the light rail is located in Scott Street and Hunter Street. Many existing businesses in the CBD and Civic area will not survive the development period. 2. All of the proposals put in Options 2 and 3 can be achieved with the light rail being located in existing train corridor if effort and investment goes into revitalising existing buildings as has been the approach in most contemporary French cities that have light rail (like Bordeaux).