Recently completed accessibility upgrades at Point Clare train station have met a mixed reaction.
Parliamentary Secretary for Central Coast, Adam Crouch, said the work provides better access for people with mobility aids, prams or luggage.
“We’ve seen a major upgrade of this station with new accessible parking spaces, two new kiss and ride car spaces and a fully accessible toilet installed,” he said.
“We’ve upgraded pathways and lighting to improve safety for people travelling to and from the station.
“The new lifts connect each platform to the commuter car parks and a new ramp and stairs from the Kurrawa Ave commuter carpark also connect to the lift.
“This work has improved the accessibility for passengers and will make daily life easier for people travelling in the region.”
The upgrade was funded by the NSW Government’s $2.2B Transport Assistance Program (TAP).
But Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch, said the upgrade was not what the community needed, with insufficient ramps, excessive lifts and a tunnel that’s “so low you hit your head on the roof”.
Tesch labelled the upgrade a “bungle”.
She inspected the station this week, accompanied by members of the local community most affected by the lack of ramps, including the elderly and those with mobility issues.
“I was hoping Minister for Regional Transport Sam Farraway would recognise our needs, but it hasn’t happened, and the outcome is abysmal,” she said.
“It’s 2022 and we should be doing so much better for accessible inclusion, and yet we end up with three sets of stairs, and a dangerous step replacing a ramped pathway, lifts that can break down, and tunnels that are too low,” she said.
Tesch said more effective education needs to be provided to those designing station upgrades.
“If you’re going to do it, do it well,” she said.
Terry Collins