The NSW Government’s B-Line bus service has carried more people in its first year of operation than the population of Greater Sydney.
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance revealed more than 5.9 million passenger trips have been made on the ground-breaking turn-up-and-go service between the Northern Beaches and the Sydney CBD since it launched in November 2017.
“The B-Line has been a tremendous success since the first buses started travelling between Mona Vale and the Sydney CBD one year ago. Customer satisfaction is above 90 per cent – it’s certainly been a happy first birthday,” Mr Constance said.
B-Line services are turn-up-and-go, meaning customers travelling between Mona Vale and Wynyard have been able to throw away their timetable.
Member for Manly James Griffin said customers can catch a bus every five minutes during peak times in the peak direction, and every 10 minutes at other times of the day.
“The B-Line is the centrepiece of a rejuvenated Northern Beaches bus network which was designed to make it easier for customers to travel to-and-from the Sydney CBD, as well as around the local area,” Mr Griffin said.
State Transit CEO Steffen Faurby said patronage across the entire Northern Beaches has increased by around 11 per cent over the last 12 months.
“We’ve added around 4,200 extra weekly services to the network, including around 2,000 B-Line services and around 1,000 new weekly services to help customers get to the new Northern Beaches Hospital and growing Frenchs Forest area,” Mr Faurby said.
In another milestone for the project, the new commuter carpark at Manly Vale will open to the public later this month.
“Manly Vale is the last of six commuter carparks to be completed as part of this project. It will provide up to 150 spaces, bringing the total number of spaces available along the B-Line route to around 900,” Mr Constance said.
“The Manly Vale car park is also the first to feature the rotating ‘Breathing Wall’ technology developed by one of Australia’s leading living infrastructure specialists, Junglefy. This unique system incorporates around 9,000 plants which have been scientifically proven to remove harmful air pollutants and to provide a habitat for biodiversity and a beautiful looking façade.”
The B-Line project has included a number of road improvements in the Northern Beaches and Lower North Shore designed to ease traffic congestion and improve bus reliability.
“The road changes delivered by the B-Line team include new bus lanes, tidal flow systems and indented bus bays which have helped to reduce the journey time between Mona Vale and Wynyard by around nine minutes,” Mr Griffin said
Month: December 2018
FAST RAIL NETWORK TO TRANSFORM NSW
The NSW Government will start work on a fast rail network in the next term of government, linking regional centres to each other and Sydney, significantly slashing travel times across the State.
Four potential routes have already been identified and High Speed Rail expert Professor Andrew McNaughton has now been appointed to confirm the most appropriate routes, train speeds and station locations.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian said a fast rail network will give people greater choice about where they live and how they commute to work.
“We know a fast rail network will transform NSW unlike any other project and we will make it a reality,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We need to make it easier for people to consider moving to regional NSW and there is no better way to do that than building a fast rail network.”
The four routes identified by the Government are within 300 kilometres from Sydney:
- Northern Route including the Central Coast and Newcastle.
- Southern Inland Route including Goulburn and Canberra.
- Western Route including Lithgow, Bathurst and Orange / Parkes.
- Southern Coastal Route including Wollongong and Nowra.
“The expert will provide advice to Government on what is possible and what would be involved,” Ms Berejiklian said.
The delivery of fast rail on those routes has the potential to slash travel times by up to 75 per cent. Approximate travel times could be:
| Journey | Current Rail Time | Faster Rail <200km/h |
High Speed Rail >250km/h |
| Sydney to Canberra | 4:07 | 3:00 | 1:00 |
| Sydney to Goulburn | 2:31 | 1:45 | 0:30 |
| Sydney to Newcastle | 2:35 | 2:00 | 0:45 |
| Sydney to Gosford | 1:19 | 1:00 | 0:30 |
| Sydney to Wollongong | 1:25 | 1:00 | 0:30 |
| Sydney to Nowra | 2:39 | 2:00 | 0:45 |
Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW John Barilaro said a $4.6 million allocation from Snowy Hydro Fund to develop fast rail will further boost confidence in regional NSW.
“We need to do the work to gauge what is possible and when,” Mr Barilaro said.
“Making regional travel faster, safer and easier brings huge economic potential to NSW regional towns and cities by making it easier to invest, do business, build a lifestyle and visit our regional towns.
“We are delivering better water security, digital connectivity and freight connections from the Snowy Hydro fund and now developing game changing infrastructure to access regional NSW.”
Minister for Transport and Infrastructure Andrew Constance said the NSW Government has a proven track record of delivering infrastructure.
“We are delivering rail to North West Sydney, a second Sydney Harbour Rail Crossing, completing the M4 and finishing the duplication of the Pacific Highway – all projects the previous Labor Government promised, but failed to deliver,” Mr Constance said.
“A fast rail network is another project which will only happen under the NSW Liberals & Nationals.”
The advice from Professor McNaughton will pave the way for the NSW Government to take a new approach to the delivery of fast rail by identifying immediate improvements to existing rail corridors, while undertaking long-term visionary planning.
This approach allows for significant improvements in travel times for customers in the coming years, while at the same time delivering the building blocks for a high speed dedicated rail network.
“In the immediate future, faster rail would see upgrades along existing rail alignments and provide services of at least 200km/h, slashing travel times by one third,” Mr Constance said.
“Ultimately, in the long term, high speed rail would see the development of new alignments and lines, providing speeds of over 250km/h, with examples overseas travelling up to 350km/h and higher – giving the potential to cut travel times by up to 75 per cent.”
For more information visit: www.nsw.gov.au/fastrail
Business improvement associations set for overhaul
Council will consider a recommendation to introduce competition for funding among local business improvement associations, to generate more events and initiatives throughout the city, tomorrow night.
More than $10 million has been paid since 2012 to the business improvement associations (BIAs) of the City Centre’s Newcastle Now, the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Wallsend Town Business Association, the Mayfield Business Association and the New Lambton Chamber of Commerce.
This funding is made available from a special rate paid by commercial ratepayers to fund additional promotion and marketing of their local business area.
Four of the five BIAs have this year requested Council funding. Collectively, they propose to this year spend 46 per cent of their ratepayer funds on administration and salaries.
An annual contestable process for the $1.345 million in ratepayer funding is recommended following the finalisation of a report by AECOM (below). The report, which will be considered at the Council meeting tomorrow night, lists 34 issues relating to governance that require addressing by the BIAs.
Council will also consider a recommendation to replace the current model of funding agreements with a new framework that ensures funding is directed to events, local projects and infrastructure. BIAs will not be able to request funds from the City of Newcastle for administrative costs and staff salaries.
A separate, independent report by the Centium Group into funding provided to Newcastle Now will also be shared with Councillors Tuesday evening. This report was prompted by the discovery that around $7 million has been paid to Newcastle Now without a business plan submitted or approved, a requirement stipulated in the association’s funding agreement signed by its then and current Chairman Edward Duc in November 2011.
City of Newcastle’s Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Bath said the AECOM report found that the governance arrangements for BIAs require significant improvement.
“Earlier this year a BIA requested more than $100,000 with no explanation of how the money would be spent,” Mr Bath said.
“Another requested to spend all (and more) of their special rate funding on administration.
“More than $10 million of commercial ratepayers’ money has been provided to BIAs during the past seven years. During this time, the amount that is being diverted to administration and salaries has substantially increased.
“For example, every year for the past five years, Newcastle Now has spent at least 43 per cent of its funding on administrative costs and salaries. In 2016, this figure exceeded $600,000 out of total funding of $1,161,596. And in 2017, 56 per cent of Newcastle Now’s funding was diverted to administration and salaries, a record percentage.
“Every dollar that is spent on administration and salaries is a dollar that isn’t going towards on-the-ground delivery of events and programs that attract people to local shops and businesses.
“AECOM recommend that administration expenses instead be managed by a single independent third party on behalf of all five BIAs. Through economies of scale, this will ensure an estimated half a million dollars more is invested into local business areas in the form of events and programs rather than in red tape and bureaucracy.
“The City needs more events, and more focus on tourism and economic development. BIAs can play a critical role in achieving this.
“Significantly, Council will also introduce a more open and contestable process for at least a portion of the annual $1.345 million that is currently exclusively available to the BIAs.
“Competition will bring about a lift in the quality of events and projects that ratepayers’ money is spent on. It will encourage fresh, dynamic ideas for how we drive better visitation and spend in our local business areas.
“Wallsend and Hamilton BIAs have done an outstanding job cultivating events that draw large numbers to their areas and positively promote local shops. Going forward, successful events like the Wallsend Winter Fair, Hamilton Carnivale and China Week will be able to apply for funding in three-year blocks to ensure events have certainty from year to year.
“City of Newcastle is contacted every week regarding inspiring new ideas for events or activations that could promote Newcastle and increase economic activity. BIAs will now compete with these groups for the funds that commercial property owners pay annually in the CBD, Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, Wallsend and New Lambton.
“To further improve governance, any funding request will now include KPIs that explain how the success of an event or program is measured.
“The proposed framework includes improved transparency around the boards of the five BIAs and a clear process for recruitment and selection to a board. A number of property owners who pay the special levy have indicated a view that BIA boards are a closed shop with limited turnover and visibility of how decisions are made.
“A vision and purpose must also be better articulated to ensure consistency in the evaluation of a BIA’s performance. For example, Newcastle Now has a goal to “help and encourage the city (of Newcastle) to live up to its name as Newcastle Business Improvement Association”.
“This goal is at best ambiguous, and at worst makes no sense. Either way, evaluating its performance in meeting its goals is impossible.
“Council will separately review the geographical boundaries of the BIAs. It’s clear that the City’s rapid transformation in recent years which has seen improved establishment of local business areas in Honeysuckle, Carrington, Waratah and the Junction, is an opportunity for the creation of new or expanded BIAs,” Mr Bath said.
Download the AECOM report (pdf)
Sanjeev Gupta shows up Coalition Government on energy leadership
GFG’s announcement to transform Whyalla into a renewable energy super power shows the Coalition Government’s lack of leadership is letting Australians down.
“This is the leadership Australia needs to transition to a new, clean economy,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Sanjeev Gupta’s announcement shows environmental responsibility for a typically dirty industry. This record-investment in renewable energy, sustainable horticulture and recycling thrusts Whyalla into the future and proves the Government wrong on renewables.
“This news is excellent for Whyalla and cements our state as a renewable energy leader. Our renewable energy industry is leading the way and showing the rest of the nation what ambition and good ideas look like.
“Australia is limping far behind on reaching our Paris targets because of this Government’s addiction to fossil fuels. Reports today that show the largest investor group in history calling on action on climate change as Mr Gupta announces a historic investment in renewable energy and cleaner industry, shows that the Liberal party has completely lost touch with corporate Australia.
“The Greens know that with a bit of ambition, like we’ve seen in Whyalla, Australia could be a leader, not a laggard, when it comes to cleaning up our act and saving the planet. The Coalition Government is simply not up to the task.”
Another tragic drug death shows hard-line approach failing to save lives
Australian Greens Leader Dr Richard Di Natale has called for governments across Australia to urgently adopt pill testing, following another tragic death at a Sydney dance party on the weekend.
“My heart goes out to Callum Brosnan’s family and friends, following his tragic death in Sydney as a result of an avoidable drug overdose. Dance parties are a rite of passage for so many young people – and it’s shocking that this one night has ended in tragedy,” Di Natale said.
“It is an appalling indictment on this country’s political leadership that we need to keep on issuing condolences for drug deaths, when they could have been prevented by pill testing. Going to a party shouldn’t be deadly, and it’s devastating that we face having to make the same plea after every avoidable death.
“No approach can entirely prevent deaths, but we owe it to people to pursue options that actually work. Despite what the Premier would want you to think, strict policing doesn’t stop drug usage, and in fact drives people to riskier drug taking.
“The NSW Premier’s tough new laws have already failed, and Gladys Berejiklian should be prepared to explain to the parents of this young man, and those who were injured, as to why she is not following the evidence.
“Pill testing works. It gives people vital information about drugs they’ve already decided to take, potentially helping them and others avoid harmful contaminants or overdosing on a particularly potent pill.
“The Australian Greens approach to pill testing puts people in touch with a health practitioner, giving them advice about the impacts of drug use and information about the contents of their drugs. This is important for young men in particular, who are less likely than other groups to seek out medical advice.
“With three more major dance parties coming up in Sydney between now and January 26, we must act now if we’re serious about making sure this tragedy isn’t repeated.”
Man charged following stabbing – Mudgee
A man has been charged following a stabbing in the state’s Central West today.
About 4pm (Monday 10 December 2018), police were called to a home on Brian Heber Grove, Mudgee, following reports a man had been stabbed.
On arrival officers found a 19-year-old man suffering a stab wound to his chest.
He was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Mudgee Base Hospital, then flown to Westmead Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Officers from Orana Mid-Western Police District arrested a 24-year-old man at the scene.
He was taken to Mudgee Police Station where he was charged with reckless wounding.
He was refused bail and will appear in Mudgee Local Court tomorrow (Tuesday 11 December 2018).
The two men are known to each other.
Search continues for missing man – Dungog
Police are continuing to appeal for public assistance to locate a man missing from the Hunter region.
Graeme Lambert-Smith, aged 61, was last seen leaving a hospital on Hospital Road, Dungog, about 7.10am yesterday (Saturday 8 December 2018).
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District were notified and commenced an investigation.
Police and family have concerns for his welfare as he suffers from a medical condition and may appear disorientated.
Mr Lambert-Smith is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 178cm tall, of thin build, with a fair complexion, silver short hair, and wearing glasses.
He was last seen wearing a blue jumper, black tracksuit pants, and no shoes.
A search for the man is ongoing in Dungog and the surrounding areas. The search involves officers from Port Stephens/Hunter Police District, PolAir, and SES personnel.
The search will continue tomorrow (Monday 10 December 2018) with the assistance of police Dog Squad and Northern Region Operational Support Group (OSG).
Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact police immediately.
Fatal shooting; man arrested – Maryland
A man has been arrested following a fatal shooting in Newcastle yesterday.
Just after 4pm (Saturday 8 December 2018), police were called to a home on Beauford Avenue, Maryland, after reports of a shooting.
A man, believed to be 38-years-old, was found with fatal injuries inside an attached garage.
He is yet to be formally identified.
A crime scene was established, and officers from Newcastle City Police District, with assistance from State Crime Command’s Homicide Squad, commenced inquiries.
About 1am today (Sunday 9 December 2018), specialist police and negotiators attended a home on Raglan Street, Wallsend, and established a perimeter.
Following negotiations, about 3.45am, 10 people – including a 30-year-old man and children – inside the home exited without incident.
The 30-year-old man was arrested and taken to Newcastle Police Station, before being taken to John Hunter Hospital for treatment to minor injuries.
The men are known to each other and police are treating the incident as targeted.
Inquiries are continuing.
Woman to be charged after leaving kids in hot car – Liverpool
A woman will be charged after allegedly leaving her children in a hot vehicle for over an hour in Sydney’s south west today.
About 12.45pm (Saturday 8 December 2018), a 36-year-old woman parked a Toyota Kluger in direct sunlight in a carpark on Viscount Place, Liverpool.
The woman left two boys, aged eight and five, inside the car while she went shopping.
About an hour later, the children were discovered by passers-by, who contacted police.
About 1.50pm, police from Liverpool Police Area Command attended as the woman returned to the vehicle.
The children were found to be dehydrated and were provided water. Ambulance Paramedics attended to assess the children.
The woman was spoken to at the scene and will be issued a Future Court Attendance Notice for leave child/young person in motor vehicle.
Her court date is yet to be determined.
Fatal motorcycle crash near Scone
A motorcyclist has died following a crash near Scone, in the state’s Hunter Region.
Just after 10am today (Saturday 8 December 2018), a motorcycle and truck collided on the New England Highway at Parkville, approximately 10km north of Scone.
The rider, a 66-year-old man, died at the scene.
The truck driver, a man believed to be aged in his 50s, wasn’t injured and has undergone mandatory blood and urine testing.
Officers from Hunter Valley Police District have established a crime scene and an investigation into the incident will be conducted by the Crash Investigation Unit.
Anyone who witnessed the crash, or the events leading up to it, is urged to contact police.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
The highway is expected to remain closed for a number of hours and motorists are advised to avoid the area.