THE Hunter should be first in line for a station on a high-speed east coast rail network.
That is the message from a consortium of business leaders, government officials and politicians from within and outside the region.
A working party headed by the Hunter arm of Regional Development Australia is pushing for the opening stage of the rail network to link Newcastle, Sydney and Canberra.
The federal government estimates that building a high-speed line between the three major cities would cost between $22billion and $37billion.
The government carried out a $20million feasibility study, funded as an election promise, exploring options for a very fast train network from Brisbane to Melbourne.
It was estimated the price tag for the entire project would be between $61billion and $108 billion. About 54million passengers were predicted to use the rail link by 2036, but the relatively small population made the cost difficult to justify.
Phase two of the government’s commitment to the project involves making decisions on routes and stations while examining the engineering possibilities and financial viability.
Hexham and Cameron Park have been named as possible station locations.
The train would travel at between 200 and 350kilometres an hour, with commuters paying $16.50 for a ticket between Newcastle and Sydney. Passengers would be in Sydney in 40minutes and Canberra about an hour later.
Regional Development Australia Hunter chief Todd Williams said the concept – floated over three decades – was often dismissed as political electioneering but planning was now in stage two and he believed it was time to take a stand.
‘‘We’ve got the support of business leaders and politicians in Canberra, Sydney, the Hunter and beyond,’’ he said.
‘‘We are leading a working party to Canberra to offer our support for its construction and to highlight the fact Newcastle to Canberra must be the first section delivered.
‘‘We are not going there to talk about the semantics of the project with regard to where stations will be built and that sort of thing – we are going to make sure that they start here.’’
The lobby group includes the NSW and Hunter business chambers, Canberra Business Council, Hunter Development Corporation, Regional Development arms in the Hunter, Central Coast, Sydney Southern Inland, mid-north coast and ACT, and Newcastle and Canberra airports.
The consortium will meet with Minister for Regional Australia Simon Crean on February 15, and both sides of politics are offering their support.
State Liberal member for Newcastle Tim Owen said he would ‘‘bend over backwards to help make this happen’’.
‘‘Newcastle should be, and must be, the first cab off the rank when the high-speed rail goes ahead,’’ he said.
Hunter Business Chamber president Richard Anicich said the train would have significant economic and social benefits for the region.
‘‘Constructing a high-speed rail network on the east coast of Australia is a monumental undertaking and one that has the full support of the Hunter Business Chamber,’’ he said.
‘‘This is a long-term, visionary infrastructure project that needs detailed planning.
‘‘The opportunities for the Hunter are exciting and business in the region stands ready to partner in this project.’’
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