A long-awaited 20-year transport plan for the New England and North West has been released, with communities now being asked to help shape how the region moves into the future.
The NSW Government has unveiled the Draft New England North West Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan, as well as similar plans for other regions, bringing together road, rail and local transport priorities into a single blueprint for the first time in more than a decade.
The draft plan has been informed by data and consultation, including more than 500 pieces of community feedback, and outlines a mix of short, medium and long-term initiatives aimed at improving connectivity across the region.
Key priorities include strengthening links between towns, supporting economic growth and emerging industries, improving resilience of transport networks and expanding travel options within communities.
NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison said the plan was designed to reflect local needs.
“People in the New England and North West know better than anyone what works on their roads, on their rail lines and in their towns. This Draft Plan is about listening to those voices and putting them at the centre of how we plan for the future,” she said.
“We are setting a clear direction for the next 20 years, but just as importantly, we are asking communities to test it, challenge it and help us get it right.”
The draft has already sparked debate across the New England, particularly around the future of the long dormant Main North rail line north of Armidale and the beleaguered rail trail proposal.
A single paragraph in the report stating that “Australian and NSW Governments are not planning to progress reinstatement of the former Main North Line north of Armidale” has been seized on by rail trail advocates, with some declaring the issue settled.
The draft notes that any future use of the corridor would require a formal proposal meeting state infrastructure and treasury guidelines, including evidence of demand, costs and long-term viability, and “demonstrated community support”, something the current New England Rail Trail proposal is well short of reaching.
At the same time, the document acknowledges several long-standing concerns raised by advocates for the return of rail services, including the need for improved cross-border transport connections and better integration between regional centres, and the significant social inequity delivered by the region’s currently very poor transport network.
The draft plan has also drawn criticism for a number of apparent errors, including incorrect population and employment figures and basic typographical mistakes, and the notable lack of any real plan to deal with the region’s transport woes, other than vague suggestions of more buses, and lots of reviews and investigations.
It has also drawn praise for highlighting several persistent issues often raised by local communities but overlooked in previous planning documents, including the poor condition of road surfaces across much of the region and the challenges faced by patients who are transferred for medical treatment without adequate support to return home. No real solution for these issues is proferred.
The plan is one of nine being developed across regional NSW, as part of a broader push to improve transport infrastructure and services outside metropolitan areas.
Transport for NSW will host consultation sessions across the region in coming weeks, alongside an online survey and submission process.
Aitchison said community input would be critical to shaping the final document.
“We’ve already seen strong engagement, with over 500 items of feedback helping to shape the Draft Plan,” she said.
“I encourage everyone across the region to take a look and have their say, because the final Plan will be stronger for it.”
Feedback on the draft plan is open until 14 June, with the final strategy expected to guide transport planning and investment decisions across the region for the next two decades. More information and copies of the plan are available at https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/sritp/new-england-and-north-west
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