Maitland councillors quashed the proposal, flagged by Cr Robert Aitchison at a meeting in July, but the suggestion was resurrected last week when Cr Don Ferris and Maitland Greens representative Jan Davis publicly pushed the topic at Tuesday’s Maitland council meeting.

Both Cr Ferris and Ms Davis were told they were out of order speaking on the topic and were swiftly shut down by Mayor Loretta Baker.

However, afterwards they said they will continue to lobby the State for a new station.

Cr Ferris told last week’s meeting that some councillors may have been misled during the July 24 debate on council’s submission to the State Government for stage one of the new Maitland hospital.

Speaking on business arising from the previous meeting’s minutes, Cr Ferris said he wanted to clarify the distances between the new hospital, Metford and Victoria Street stations after a councillor had suggested they were only 500 metres apart.

While on his feet, Cr Ferris was told repeatedly to sit down by Mayor Loretta Baker. The Mayor pointed out that the the matter was part of the debate at the last meeting - but was not part of its current agenda.

Cr Ferris told Fairfax Media that the distance mentioned was wrong and was concerned the comment may have swayed debate.

“I want to put it on record that this (the distance) is not the case,” he said.

Cr  Aitchison raised the possibility of a transport hub, including a new railway station, during discussion on the new facility in July. 

 He moved to send council’s submission on the concept proposal for stage one to the Department of Planning and Environment with an additional point.

He said council should push the State to investigate the possibility of a new railway station servicing the hospital.

The proposal was not supported. 

“It was suggested that this would be a crazy idea as there are other train station that are only 500 metres away,” Cr Ferris said.

“But this is not the case.

“Metford Road is 1300 metres from Victoria Street Station and over 1500 metres from Metford Station.”

Speaking in public access on another topic at last week’s meeting, Hunter Environment Lobby President Jan Davis said she supported Cr Ferris on the push for a new station to service the hospital, but she too was shut down.

She told Fairfax Media after the meeting that her lobby group had made a submission to the State about a lack of railway accessibility to the new hospital.

“This hospital will be the only hospital in NSW so close to a railway line and I find it hard to believe there are no actual plans for a new station,” Ms Davis said.

“I realise Victoria Street and Metford stations are in close proximity but they are too far away for sick or elderly people to access the hospital.

“It's common sense to have a station there, particularly when one of the main issues around the new hospital site is traffic congestion.

“As you can imagine with new housing developments at Morpeth and Thornton, the volume of traffic on roads in this area will get worse, particularly once the hospital is built,” she said.

Cr Ferris said people struggle to find parks at John Hunter Hospital and both Maitland Public and Maitland Private hospitals.

“Parking is a huge problem at these centres and that is before traffic is taken into account,” he said.

“Everybody agrees that traffic is worsening in Maitland.

“A new Maitland hospital that will serve generations of Lower Hunter residents for decades to come and should be strategically planned to incorporate one of Maitland's greatest assets - rail.” 

What do you think? Email us at maitland@fairfaxmedia.com.au or send a letter to PO Box 222, Maitland, NSW 2320