Overview
By 2041, the Hunter region is predicted to grow by 100,000 people. To ensure that Transport can support this growth and realise the region’s community vision, it’s time to look at managing the transport network differently.
The draft Hunter Regional Transport Plan (the Plan) provides a vision for how the Hunter’s transport network, infrastructure and services will be managed and developed over time to realise community aspirations.
The NSW Government released Future Transport Strategy that builds on Future Transport 2056 (originally released in 2018); a long-term plan for transport in NSW. This draft Transport Plan outlines what this means for the Hunter region over the next 20 years.
The development of the Plan has been guided by formal engagement and workshops with key State and local government stakeholders from all 10 councils across the Hunter, relevant state agencies and the Hunter Joint Organisation of Councils.
Have your say!
Consultation for this project has now closed. Feedback was welcome from 1 October to 4 December 2022.
The feedback we received will help Transport understand what is important to customers and the community.
More information can be found on our Draft Hunter Regional Transport Plan Your Say consultation page.
Supporting plans
The Plan presents a transport vision for the Hunter and responds to the land use vision outlined in the NSW Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) Draft Hunter Regional Plan 2041. The Plan identifies the key infrastructure, services and policy interventions which will be needed to achieve this vision at a local level.
Key goals of the vision include:
- A connected region – increased population within a 30-minute public transport trip of jobs, education and services from Greater Newcastle or your nearest strategic centre (Taree, Foster-Tuncurry, Morisset, Maitland, Kurri Kurri, Cessnock, Singleton, Muswellbrook, Nelson Bay, Dungog, Scone and Raymond Terrace)
- An integrated network – that embraces the 15-minute neighbourhood planning principle where people regularly choose to walk, cycle or take public transport to shops, services, schools or work
- Inter-regional connection – that builds on the Regional Rail Fleet and road upgrades as well as a potential future Fast Rail connection to improve multi-modal connectivity between the Hunter, Central Coast and Greater Sydney for passengers and freight
- Integrated transport, land use and infrastructure – that reflects balanced movement and place outcomes, contributing to better places and improving public transport attractiveness
- Supporting economic development – through improved road and rail networks that support Newcastle Port and Williamtown Special Activation Precinct, accommodate more efficient vehicle combinations, embrace technology-driven solutions, and address first mile/last mile freight
- Supporting tourism – through an upgraded Newcastle Airport, improved road networks and public transport services as well as integrated walking and cycling connections allowing visitors to easily explore the region
- Greater productivity – integrated transport infrastructure and services that connect residents with jobs, education, leisure and health ensuring the continued growth and diversification of sectors across the region, with first and last mile solutions tailored to support successful places
- Improved customer experience – by exploiting innovation and advances in technology to enable new and more personalised mobility solutions, inform customer decision-making with more ‘real-time’ information, improve safety, network resilience and freight efficiencies
- A more sustainable region – through uptake of electric vehicles in the transport fleet, an improved EV fast charging network and supporting the proposed Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (REZ)
- A more resilient region – that builds climate and hazard resilience into the network's infrastructure supported by adaptive management strategies that maintain emergency access along key routes and bring the network back on-line quickly following planned and unplanned disruption.
The Plan has identified about 80 initiatives that in combination, will support the 2041 regional transport vision for the Hunter.