"If you do not keep the existing rail, prepare for a long and uncomfortable aftermath as we, the residents, will pursue you and your decisions"

Image from an article on protests in Maitland;

 published in Newcastle Herald,  04.09.14

The NSW Government has a plan to 'truncate' the railway line at Wickham. This means STOP the railway line at Wickham, and passangers would have to change to a bus into the city.
Here is a copy of a letter one Newcastle resident sent in to the government in response to this proposal:

Before making any changes to the existing rail line to Newcastle CBD, planners should take into consideration the full scope of corruption allegations currently being proven here. There is no legitimate scenario in which Newcastle residents would benefit from the proposed changes. They are contrary to the wishes of the majority of residents ( including me), they are contrary to the overall planning of the city ( eg the expansion of Newcastle University campus to the inner city) and there is evidence to suggest that they are contrary to the future prosperity of Newcastle ( as distinct from some vested interests). If you do not keep the existing rail, prepare for a long and uncomfortable aftermath as we, the residents, will pursue you and your decisions.

If you would like to make contact with the government on this issue too, you could send a handwritten letter to the NSW Minister for transport and the Hunter Region, 
Gladys Berejiklian,   
Level 35 Governor Macquarie Tower, 
1 Farrer Place, 
SYDNEY NSW 2000. 

As well as your local state member 

For further information or to join the campaign, go to Save Our Rail website

The pleasure of taking your bike on the train all the way to Newcastle City...

photograph by David Mist from the Powerhouse Museum Collection, Photograph collected from great Bicycle blog, Sydney Cycle Chic

..is now under threat! The NSW Government has a notion to build a Wickham Transport Interchange and 'truncate' (PR speak for 'cut off') the Railway line so you can no longer take a train into Newcastle.

I think this is a completely bad idea. So do some of my friends. Here is a copy of the letter Maryann wrote to the government:

To Whom It Concerns,

I am a user of the rail line between Newcastle station and Maitland. I want to be able to continue catching a train all the way into Newcastle beach.

I also want to be able to take my bike and children's bikes on the train to Newcastle beach. Buses won't let me do this.

The proposed interchange at Wickham is hopeless and not a solution.
What government gets rid of existing infrastructure that can only benefit a growing population ??? A short sighted government that is pandering to developers.

Please do not cut the Newcastle rail line.

Maryann Lees

If you would like to make contact with the government on this too, you should send a handwritten letter to the NSW Minister for transport and the Hunter Region, 
Gladys Berejiklian,   
Level 35 Governor Macquarie Tower, 
1 Farrer Place, 
SYDNEY NSW 2000. 

As well as your local state member 

For further information or to join the campaign, go to Save Our Rail website

Bicycles at Newcastle Baths (From Sydney Cycle Chic)

The easy train ride from anywhere with your surfboard to Newcastle beach

...is under threat....

As the NSW government considers a plan to "truncate" (PR-speak for "cut off") the railway line at Wickham

I'm not the only one who thinks this is silly. Here is a letter that another friend wrote to the government.

We left Newcastle (my phone wants me to write Beefcake) 10 years ago. Developers were lobbying to close the rail then, 10 years before that, and still today. Ironically, you marked out the old tracks in the honeysuckle "refurb", and the tram line (?) -- Just marked it mind, in that typically Australian false sentiment.

Keep it open damn you! Further, put the red rattler back on it. Build a perfect wave reef off the break wall. Make Hunter St one way out and King St one way in. Increase parking, paths, parks and cycleways.

Flush out your dead head business precincts and their negatively geared visions. Resist the Sydney plebs and their shit ideas. Find a real visions and back them for at least 10 years. renew newcastle proudly.

We might move back then. Good luck.

If you would like to make contact with the government on this too, you should send a handwritten letter to the NSW Minister for transport and the Hunter Region, Gladys Berejiklian:  Level 35 Governor Macquarie Tower, 1 Farrer Place, SYDNEY NSW 2000. As well as your local state member 

For further information or to join the campaign, go to Save Our Rail website

 

The beautiful train trip from anywhere to Newcastle City...

...is under threat....

As the NSW government considers a plan to "truncate" (PR-speak for "cut off") the railway line at Wickham.

Image from roys photography blog

As this is presently a project under consideration,  you can make your own submission, expressing your views or evidence, by emailing a response to this document.

Include your name and address in your submission and the subject should include "Wickham Transport Interchange"
My friends have been sharing the submissions they have been making to Transport NSW about this proposal.

Here is What Mara said:

Please Please ... sir

 I beg with all my heart ... not to close the train travel between Newcastle and wickham ..

Everything outlined in your future proposal supports the continuation of a train between wickham and Newcastle

I am a 56 year old grandmother with 2 grandchildren plus i am a bike rider ,,, rather than a car driver .

I have  used public transport of all types  over the years in various cities, country towns and suburbs .

The only one .... i repeat the only one that serves the needs of both the very young and elderly is the trains ..

Cancelling trains and replacing them with light rail ..

Straight away ...

I am  not able to take my bike on board a light rail or Bus !

This will indeed take away my independence or   increase my costs of travel exponentially ..

Try travelling with a double pram with two young children ...

Its difficult enough without being impossible to travel  with a pram outside of off peak hours .

Trains allow me to do this ..

Easy to get on , children can stay safely in the pram and i am not sooo stressed .

This is not possible and not supported by drivers or even the public if there is mild congestion of bus travellers or light rail travellers .

Trains allow people to enter the carriage , wide aisles  with supports available till seating is found and then after a whistle .... the train leaves the station ..

Buses consider their responsibility to the passenger finished after the door closes .

Movements are jerky as they enter the traffic  and time is not allowed for passengers to make their way down a narrow aisle to find seating ,, plus access is denied other people when a pram is parked in the aisle ..

Bus drivers are genuinely compassionate but must be committed to their schedule . Time . Budget .

Trams ... Staright away bikes are not allowed /

Prams are not encouraged .but while your at it grandmother , if you choose to board a tram with your grandchild without a pram ... keep them well behaved and pay your fare now befor sitting  !!!

Trains take this frustration away and instead develops a sense of being nurtured and  valued by society .. our  city ... our community .

I always see happy families travelling by train ,, enjoying the scenery and interacting with their younger accompianents

Is a city or region just to provide services  to the working sector ??

Trains are part of tourism  too .

As i mentioned and pleaded befor ..

your  Vision statement  wholly supports train travel into Newcastle   ...

As quoted here

 Vision

“Newcastle will continue to grow and

evolve to strengthen its position as the

Hunter region’s capital. The city centre’s

location and setting between the river

and ocean make Newcastle a compact,

people-friendly city with unique

attributes.

Newcastle city centre will be a vibrant

regional hub and attractive destination

for businesses, residents and visitors,

providing accessible and suitable

employment opportunities, a choice

of retail and other services, and local,

national and international investment

opportunities.”

Newcastle Urban Renewal

Strategy, 2012

This is not a vision excluding  people with prams . people with bikes , people with small lap dogs ,

 people with disabilities , or people who need to travel  seated in a wheelchair .

I beg you ....

Please please don’t cut the train  system  between wickham and Newcastle ..

Lets be the most people friendly city with unique attributes ...

Thank you for allowing me to voice my opinion

Cycling in the city

Steven Flemming rides into our work on various bikes all very handsome (the bikes, that is). Maybe in the pursuit of handsome, I have noticed Steven wearing outfits to match his particular bike choice of the day. That would be helpful for me. Today I chose my outfit to match the lovely hand-made felt handbag I got at St. Vinnies. But dressing to match my bicycle...seems more suitably post-consumer!
Steven has written a book which should be very interesting. Have a look below. He needs to get some funds up to support it so if you are a cycle in the city type...you can support it and get your name up there in cyberspace as a cycle-space supporter!

Where (near you) to recycle everything - from cans to computers

So exciting! A really super dooper site for Australia!
http://www.recyclingnearyou.com.au/
Just put in your postcode and the website will tell you everything you need to know about all your local recycling, re-use, hazardous waste collection services! Hooray! They even tell you where to take stuff, where to shop for second hand goods locally, what EXACTLY your council collects... eg: what have you been doing with all of those pesky envolopes with windows? The site tells you if your council recycles them or not.
Hot tip! Don't crush your aluminum cans!

Community: A small group of thoughtful ....

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has" Margaret Mead

Permaculture Central Coast ran a wonderful day of workshops on Sunday mixed with yummy food, homemade cakes and teas, and music.
The workshops ranged in the areas of Garden, Home, Natural Health, Traditional crafts and Food.
I learned some new native food and medicine plants from Jake Cassar, updated my knowledge on Composting and Worm farming from Lisa Wriley of the Kariong Eco Garden, then I gave a short workshop on Passive Solar design.
After a delicious lunch and music from Jake Cassar, I attended a workshop by Teresa Rutherford on repelling insects naturally, and then Peter Meloy talked about making his existing home(pictured) into a sustainable house. In the picture you can see the photovoltaic cells on his roof. Peter showed us his last electricity bill.. for $8.00 CREDIT!

My overall impression of the day was HOORAY for Permaculture Central Coast. Such a well organised event only cost attendees about $30 for the day, and so much information and hands on knowledge was available. Sometimes I go to similar day-long events held in fancy hotels with gourmet catering , which cost hundreds of dollars to attend, and don't learn nearly enough. I really appreaciate community groups who spend their own time to help others. Good on you.

Largest Flowering plant on earth MAKES GREAT PAPER

This tree is a Eucalyptus Regnans The tallest hardwood tree and largest flowering plant on earth. I guess all that timber must make lots of paper, and Gunns must have thought the same, as they are unashamedly clearfelling masses of ancient Regnans in Tasmania.

To find out more, read at this very interesting article from The Monthly, May 2007, available online.

If Tasmania is to far to go and make protest, take some cyberaction at the Wilderness Society Cyberactivist Site.

May the trees be happy.

INFO: 2050: Young Future Leaders of the Built Environment

2050 has been running since 2004, but I only JUST found out about it!
It be an "an incorporated not-for-profit association of like-minded young development professionals dedicated to a more sustainable built environment for Australia."

The 2050 mission:-

"2050 exists to drive national initiatives towards a more sustainable Australia with passion, commitment and youthful energy."

Sound good? They also say:

What is the 2050 demographic?
Being made up of so many professions concerned with the built environment, the 2050 demographic is broadly based along the following:-

• Age : 21 - 35
• Sex : 55% male, 45% female
• Education : over 95% tertiary qualified
• Employment : over 90% full time, over 40% in management positions

How do I Join?

Are you a young professional or student working towards a sustainable built environment? Simply send an email to info@2050.org.au and we'll sign you up to our mailing list so you can receive our monthly newsletters and information about upcoming events and activities. Membership is FREE and entitles you to access to the members forum on our website.

Looks like I should join! Maybe you should too.

CLIMATE CHANGE easy click ACTION

If you have not met the website Get Up! yet, now is a good time.
Get Up! is a website which hosts all kinds of community action campaigns. The Climate Action Now map is very cool. Simply add your location if you are concerned about climate change, and watch the map of Australia before you become populated with more and more people adding their names every second.

Finally Climate Change/ Global Wierding is becoming a mainstream concern.
Now you can watch a TV show on commercial TV called
'Cool Aid' on Channel 10 Sunday March 4th '07 at 8:30pm.
This will be a 2 hour "special". According to Channel 10:
COOL AID: The National Carbon Test will shock Australians- confront them- amuse them- inspire them. Hosted by Sandra Sully, COOL AID: The National Carbon Test will feature exclusive interviews with Al Gore, former US Vice- President and creator of An Inconvenient Truth, and Australian of the Year, Tim Flannery, as well as live performances by Toni Collette and The Finish and super group EVERMORE.
The CoolAid website also includes an online poll asking if "Australia should sign The Kyoto Agreement?"

DO SOMETHING TODAY: email the prime minister of australia

Today I got grumpy when i heard our Prime Minister's voice on the radio.
I Quote:
"In an age where we're worried about global warming we should be looking seriously at nuclear power as an option, because it's clean and it doesn't emit greenhouse gases and I can't understand why the extreme Greenies oppose it,"
Well Uranium, which is used to make Nuclear energy, DOES HAVE A HALF LIFE OF 760 MILLION YEARS, so I'm not sure about how exactly that makes it CLEAN
Argh argh argh argh
please send my shonky excuse for a prime minister an email to tell him he is a silly goose or something to that effect.