The NSW Opposition has announced that a Labor Government will install lifts at Tuggerah Station, if elected in 2019.
Shadow Minister for Transport, Jodi McKay, was joined by Member for the Entrance, David Mehan, in making the announcement on November 9 They were joined by locals, who have long been campaigning for better accessibility of one of the Central Coast’s busiest stations. “Tuggerah Station is the major train station for thousands of Central Coast residents. “Sydney Trains data indicates that almost 3,000 trips a day are taken to and from there,” McKay said. “For eight long years, the Berejiklian Government has ignored concerns about access for people with disabilities, those with mobility issues and parents with prams. “Many locals have raised the issue that the current long ramp and stair access makes the train station much too difficult to navigate.
“The previous Labor Government was in the process of installing lifts when work was halted in 2011, following the election of the Liberal Government. “Then Transport Minister and now Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, cancelled the project but never provided a reason. Mehan said he fully supported the community’s desire to see lifts installed at the station. “I won’t rest until we have lifts at Tuggerah Station. “The Central Coast has a large population of over 65s “It is common sense to have lifts here at Tuggerah Station to make life easier,” Mehan said. On October 24, David Mehan, placed a motion before the NSW Parliament calling on the NSW Government to build easy access lifts at Tuggerah Station.
The motion condemned the Government for its failure to provide easy access lifts at Tuggerah station; congratulated the local community for their strong campaign in support of lifts at the station and called on the Government to immediately commit funding for the installation of lifts at Tuggerah station, along with a clear timetable to complete the job. During the debate on the motion, Mehan noted that the Transport Access Program was being “rorted” by the Government with higher priority projects on the Coast missing out on funding, while projects in Government held areas were funded. Mehan read from a letter sent by, Helen Terry, of Tumbi Umbi, to the Transport Minister. In her letter, Ms Terry recorded the difficulties caused by a lack of lifts at Tuggerah Station: “I hope (and I really do) that this information will be of assistance to you and your government in working out what is really important to the voting public of NSW,” Terry’s letter said.
“We don’t need grand monuments and gestures, we need things that will make our lives better and a little easier,” she said. The Liberal National Government members did not support the motion. “The Government has funded access upgrades at Wyee and Hawkesbury River, but not at one of the biggest stations on the Coast,” Mehan said. “The Berejiklian Government has the wrong priorities,” he said. “It should be funding transport upgrades on the Central Coast.
Source: Media release, Oct 24 David Mehan, Member for The Entrance Media release, Nov 9 Peter Duggan, Office of David Mehan MP