It was like a vote of confidence from a proud parent when Premier Mike Baird said he and his ministry collectively believed in the Hunter.
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His comments came at the official launch of the Hunter Valley Conference and Events Centre yesterday.
The term official can only be used loosely because the function centre had already been officially opened in January.
The centre has already hosted a pharmaceutical conference in the wait for Mr Baird to come to town.
His visit was in essence a cosmetic progression of photo opportunities with little time for the media to press him on the issues that affected Maitland and the Hunter Valley.
The Premier’s second visit to Maitland since he assumed the top job was to open the Service NSW Maitland office.
Tagged as the one-stop-shop, the revamped East Maitland motor registry centre was officially opened last year.
Maitland MP Robyn Parker and Liberal candidate for Maitland Steve Thomson even posed in front of the building for the media to mark the occasion.
The Mercury requested a one-on-one interview with the Premier while he was in town, but his office said there would not be time.
Given the decline in the coal industry, major opposition to the truncation of the Newcastle rail line, uncertainty over the funding model of the new Lower Hunter hospital and the future of the existing Maitland Hospital, this newspaper believes it was a legitimate request.
There was a $7 million roads announcement for New England Highway upgrades and a tenuous promise of a funding model for the new Lower Hunter hospital but not necessarily before next month’s election.
Let’s hope it’s not too long before the Premier visits Maitland again and allows time to answer media questions posed on the city’s behalf.
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