From the Far End of the Council Table - 17 May 2009
Date: 17-May-09
Author: Councillor James Ryan
What do you want Cessnock to be like in ten years time?
Cessnock is at the crossroads. Everyone will have heard of the F3 Seahampton to Branxton link receiving $1.5bn funding from the Federal Rudd Government which seemed desperate to fund anything in NSW except a public transport project in Sydney. So they picked something in the Hunter Valley as a snub to Nathan Rees.
The F3 will now be used as an excuse to 'open Cessnock up'. It will increase the pressure on Cessnock Council to approve bigger and bigger developments. It's crunch time for residents to decide what type of town you really want to live in.
There are now proposals the build 7500 houses at Branxton, another 1400 at Greta, 900 at Cliftleigh, 1000 at Heddon Greta, 4000 at Bellbird North, 900 at Kitchener, another 700 in the Aberdare extended site, 400 at Nulkaba, 100 at Cessnock North. Another 900 at Sawyers Gully and 700 at Paxton. Officially the State Governments plan is to double the number of houses in Cessnock by adding another 21,000 by 2031. This plan was fully supported by Kerry Hickey.
Very soon, probably July, Council will put on public display the new draft Local Environment Plan (LEP) for Cessnock which includes much of this development. The LEP is the regulation that determines whether your land is residential, commercial or farmland. Most people don't think about the LEP much but it is this plan that affects your life every day. The plan will go on display for 10 weeks.
What the people of Cessnock have to decide is whether we want to be like Maitland and it's traffic jams. Or do we want to keep our country charm.
Personally I like having lots of bush around. Whether you like walking, mountain bike riding, horse riding, motor biking or just fresh air many people I meet like our lifestyle. Contrast that with the infamous roundabouts of Maitland where the traffic just banks up and crawls through like it does at Maitland railway station, or the traffic congestion on the highway from Rutherford past Hexham. (Contrary to what some may have us believe the F3 won't lead to much improvement.)
That type of traffic congestion is coming to Cessnock. It is the inevitable result of the NSW Labor Governments plans for Cessnock.
The Greens believe the needs of the community are just as important as the wants of the property development industry. We think planning should be for people not for profit.
So if you are like me and like living in Cessnock with lots of bush, vineyards and being able to drive about without being caught in a traffic jam its time to start speaking out - if we don't we'll become just like Maitland.
Make sure you have your say.
