Cr Baker renewed her call for more public transport services, particularly rail, to link major centres in the region with massive housing developments poised for release across the city’s western and eastern suburbs.

In her election pledge Cr Baker said unprecedented residential development at Huntlee, Lochinvar, Aberglasslyn and Farley set the foundations for a much-needed boost to the area’s public transport sector.

She said rail lines, platforms and in some cases abandoned stations are sitting idle with mainly coal and freight trains the only engines to pass through.

She said more services in rail and bus transport need to be provided and infrastructure for stations acted upon. 

“The highway at Lochinvar is about to become increasingly congested after council signed off recently on 15,000 housing lots there,” Cr Baker said.

“Huntlee is also growing and there is no independence for kids in that area. We can’t continue to be car reliant,” she said.

Maitland City Council has made its submission to the State in preparation for the release of the The Hunter Regional Plan 2036.

“One of the aims of the plan is to identify strategies and actions needed to prioritise infrastructure and services needed in catalyst areas.

“I have spoken about this on many occasions including a recent developers’ forum,” she said.

“We have lots of reasons to push for public transport. We can’t come in when it’s already mayhem on the roads and we have reached a critical point where people are commuting as long as some Sydney people do,” she said.

Cr Baker said there is also a need for good commuter car parks and better bus connections.

“We have to talk about public transport with every development,” she said.

“We have been working with the Department of Planning and Environment through the Hunter Regional Metro Plan on all connectivity issues and they have been working with us. There's a lot at stake. People move here for better quality of life but our biggest problem in my opinion is traffic and it's going to get worse,” Cr Baker said.

The 2009 Maitland Integrated Land Use and Transport Study said Maitland’s population and development growth was above the state average. It also said there were problems with peak traffic and cited no access to rail transport in Aberglasslyn and Rutherford as a concern. 

It forecast future demand for Lochinvar Station following development of Lochinvar Urban Release Area and said there was no rail transport to Cessnock. 

“Most of the infrastructure to get rail stations up and running is already in place and we have to act now, not in 20 years time when we are choking with cars,” Cr Baker said.

“For me transport is a major social determinate of health and if you don’t have access to transport then you’re denied a lot of things like access to health care or a job interview. Lochinvar, Cessnock and Branxton stations could be recommissioned. The corridor is there - let’s use it.”