Newcastle Labor councillor push for biodiversity and light rail corridor in inner city bypass

The seven Labor councillors have lodged a notice of motion to the June 27 council meeting seeking "urgent" attention to the issues, as work continues on the final stage of the bypass.

Construction began in March on the 3.4 kilometres Rankin Park to Jesmond stretch. The road is expected to open to traffic in 2025.

The Herald reported last week that an environmental expert disputed a Transport for NSW assertion that a dead kangaroo found 1.3 kilometres away from the bypass construction site at Jesmond was unlikely to have been displaced by the project.

The motion asks that council writes to Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery and "reiterates the need for further refinement to the project before it is completed including the need for a dedicated corridor for active transport, bus rapid transport and future light rail between the John Hunter Hospital and University of Newcastle as part of the project; and opportunities for refinements to minimise biodiversity and habitat losses".

It says it is "not too late" to include these issues in the project scope, and the costs would be "substantially less" now than retro-fitting.

Ward 3 councillor Peta Winney-Baartz said biodiversity concerns had been raised with her.

"If there are changes that can be made to the design or construction methodology to give back some habitat, those should be looked at," she said.

"This government could be looking at these things while construction continues.

"Our advocacy on this has been consistent. What's changed is the government, and I hope the new NSW ministers are more open minded to these options than their predecessors."

Cr Winney-Baartz said council had successfully pushed on behalf of residents to protect Peatties Road reserve from becoming a construction compound, a full interchange at the John Hunter and protect the east/west cycleway through Jesmond Park that was originally going to be severed.

Medical staff strongly advocated for the interchange, while Newcastle Cycleways Movement also lobbied for the cycleway retention.

"We'd like to work constructively to seek further improving in the design," she said.

"This project has been planned for almost half a century. The change in state government provides an opportunity for the road to be looked at again before it's too late."

The bypass is being delivered by the state government, which has provided 20 per cent of the funding, while the federal government has contributed 80 per cent.

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