The Honourable Bob Carr MP
Premier of NSW Minister for the Arts, and Minister for Citizenship.
Level 40 Governor Macquarie Tower
1 Farrer Place
Sydney NSW 2000

Dear Mr Premier,

A people friendly Newcastle requires the continuation of CityRail services.

The NSW Sustainability Commissioner, Peter Newman said on a recent science program "that a study done for the World Bank found that car-dependent cities are less economically efficient than cities that are based on trains"

Parks and Playgrounds Movement is a community organisation that has served the Hunter Region for over fifty years. The Movement has been the chief community advocate for the Newcastle harbour foreshore and improvements to the Newcastle environment. We believe that a people friendly Newcastle requires the continuation of CityRail services to the city and the implementation of the 1981 Joy Cummings scenic rail entry into the Historic Newcastle Station.

We are concerned at the ineptitude of Mr Costa's Lower Hunter Transport Working Group analysis of the transport issues and we ask the NSW Cabinet not to countenance a planning strategy that would remove CityRail services from Historic Newcastle Station.

Michael Costa MLC Minister for Transport Services is proposing to cut the inner city of Newcastle off from the CityRail network. There has been no effective consultation with the people of Newcastle and the region, the majority of whom are opposed to this proposition.

There are many improvements that can be made to the CityRail Network but cutting rail services to Newcastle cannot be regarded as an improvement. It would be a blow to the Hunter Region and to the regional capital, Newcastle, the second city of NSW. The Maitland/ Newcastle rail line was the second passenger railway constructed in Australia and is an important feature of the City of Newcastle. The Wran Labor Government opened the railway line for electric train services to and from Sydney in 1984 and the services are greatly appreciated by commuters and visitors.

The former Greiner Government had adopted the Honeysuckle Scheme to cut rail services at Civic but the decision to retain services was made after the defeat of the sitting Member, George Keegan (Independent) and the election of Mr Bryce Gaudry MP and a Carr Labor Government.

It is important that your Government listen to the people of Newcastle and not countenance a planning strategy that would remove CityRail services from Historic Newcastle Station.