IT’S the billion-dollar wish list that might have seemed fanciful a year ago, but with just 40 days until the state election and a cashed-up Liberal government leading the charge, the Hunter Region is waving a very large flag for more attention.
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The Newcastle Herald, together with business, industry and community groups, has compiled a project wish list aimed at getting firm financial commitments on regional roads and infrastructure from the two major parties ahead of the March 28 poll.
Mike Baird’s Liberal government will head to the election on a mission to lease 49 per cent of the state-owned power poles and wires, potentially giving it a $20 billion war chest.
Labor, opposed to the sell-off, will have $20 billion less to entice voters, but will be hoping to claw back the Hunter seats it lost in the election landslide of 2011.
‘‘We’re the only region in Australia that has an economic infrastructure plan, so if there’s money around, we want it because they’re going to get a return on their investment and it’s pretty clear what we need,’’ Regional Development Australia’s Hunter chapter boss Todd Williams said.
Included in the Liberal war chest is $6 billion for regional areas, including $1 billion for roads, $2 billion for freight corridors, $300 million for health projects, $300 million for regional school projects and $600 million for cultural infrastructure.
Roads dominate the Hunter’s wish list with calls for a link between the M1 at Beresfield and the Pacific Highway at Raymond Terrace which would eliminate the Beresfield bottleneck. The Singleton and Muswellbrook bypasses also rate highly, with state roads at Toronto, Williamtown and Hillsborough also demanding urgent attention.
Following on from the Herald’s ‘Toxic Truth’ campaign, there are strong calls for a future fund that will help to clear the lead-riddled legacy of Boolaroo’s Pasminco smelter. Carrying the biggest price tag is the long-held plan to take freight off the passenger rail line and put it on a dedicated line between Fassifern and Hexham. The move will more than halve the problems at Adamstown rail gates.
On the health front, the fast-tracking of planning and construction of a major hospital near Maitland heads the list, alongside promises to upgrade Kurri, Cessnock and Tomaree hospitals, and a commitment to keep the existing Maitland Hospital in operation.
After years of debate, long-term commitments to dredging Swansea Channel and the Myall River make the list, along with kickstarting stalled plans to upgrade police stations at Cessnock, Toronto and Morisset.
Maitland needs funds for the second stage of its Levee project, and new calls have emerged for solid financial commitments to the expansion of Newcastle Art Gallery.
The property council’s Hunter chief Andrew Fletcher put Newcastle’s CBD mine problem back on the agenda. It is one of the few issues which the Greens and business groups agree on - establish a $20 million fund that would fill all the old mines and recoup the money via a levy on developers.
‘‘Little progress has been made on this issue by either major party in government,’’ Mr Fletcher said. ‘‘We’re also asking the government to undertake a wholesale review of the Mine Subsidence Board.’’
Finalising a growth plan for the region will also go a long way towards solving the Hunter’s housing affordability problems. Labor unveiled the Lower Hunter Regional Strategy in 2006 but few targets have been met. It was due for review in 2011 by the O’Farrell government but it never happened and the problem has worsened.
The Hunter’s campaign will step up a gear today when Premier Mike Baird visits the region.
He is expected to make a number of pre-election promises, including a commitment to road funding.
