THE railway is a suburban and regional issue and cannot be subject to the whims of people wealthy enough to live in inner Newcastle. Residents of greater Newcastle, the Hunter and Lake Macquarie don’t care if they have to travel by train, tram or wagon pulled by a team of horses – as long as they are not disgorged onto the footpath at the edge of town. At Wickham.
They are happy to compromise on speed and the number of crossings, as long as they can conveniently reach our city, our entertainment venues and our fabulous beaches.
I am disgusted at the suggestion that MPs Sonia Hornery and Matthew Morris have sat back and let the city go to pot. On the contrary, these two, plus their colleagues further up the valley, have been tireless in pressing for the kind of public transport we need. Out here, it is Jodi McKay who is regarded as the sad joke, while I know a lot of people who would walk over hot coals for our hard-working representatives. This whole debacle is inner-city types ignoring the greater needs of the region.
Geoff Hassall, Maryland
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