Newcastle light rail needs NSW Auditor-General’s attention say NSW Greens

Reported in the Newcastle Herald: Newcastle’s light ‍rail project should be investigated by the NSW Auditor-General in light of problems with the Sydney CBD light ‍rail, the NSW Greens have requested.

An auditor-general’s report late last month on the CBD and South East Light ‍Rail project said the cost of the Sydney project blew out from $1.6 million to $2.1 million in less than a year, mostly because of “mispricing and omissions in the business case”.

The Greens transport spokesperson Mehreen Faruqi said she suspected the Newcastle light ‍rail project was suffering from the same sorts of issues that were identified by the auditor-general in Sydney.

“The community, local residents, experts and businesses have all consistently highlighted the issues with this two-kilometre light ‍rail line, but their voices have fallen on deaf ears as the Liberal-National government pushes ahead with their flawed agenda,” Dr Faruqi said. “There has been a lack of community consultation, secrecy around the business case, and no comprehensive assessment into the costs or benefits of the project.”

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