Money has been allocated to preserving a Newcastle Light Rail extension corridor, but the "little" amount doesn't have the local MP holding his breath.
Newcastle will receive a piece of $3 million allocated in this week's NSW budget for regional light rail corridor preservation. The other cities who will share in the funding pool are Tweed Heads and Queanbeyan.
Transport for NSW says an extension is not yet economically or technically viable, and further investigations are needed. Pre-feasibility investigations carried out by Transport in 2020 found there was "no urgent need to extend stage one of the project".
An extension to John Hunter Hospital via Broadmeadow has been recommended as the most suitable option for the next stage.
Newcastle MP Tim Crakanthorp said while the funding was promising, he didn't expect it to go far.
"I was initially encouraged, but then I saw how little the amount was," he said.
"Something is better than nothing. They really need to get serious about it."
Mr Crakanthorp said he had been asking for the government to preserve land west of the current light rail for years, with the rapid pace of development in the area a concern.
"They really need to get this corridor before it's built in," he said. "The west end is really growing at break neck speed. I think they've been caught short by that speed."
The MP was also apprehensive given the amount allocated to local projects in the past compared to what is actually spent. The NSW government last year committed $5.6 million to the Newcastle Education Campus, but has only spent $862,000.
"They allocate a lot and spend very little," Mr Crakanthorp said.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said a number of options for the corridor would be assessed and extensive analysis carried out before determining any preferred alignments.
"These investigations remain in their infancy but relate to future corridor preservation, alignment and strategic transport network outcomes," the spokesperson said.
"Transport for NSW continues to work with City of Newcastle, the Department of Planning and Environment and Hunter and Central Coast Development Corporation in exploring these matters in the context of broader precinct and city planning, as well as alignment with future land use outcomes."
