Rail document found in Owen office: Labor

Feb. 17, 2015, 12:30 p.m.

NEWCASTLE: Cabinet document shows government rejected advice about Newcastle light rail.

ROLES: Tim Crakanthorp, left, found the document, and Jeff McCloy, right, says he did not have much influence.

Read the cabinet papers here

A CABINET document that shows the government rejected advice from Transport for NSW about the best light rail route in Newcastle was found in former Liberal MP Tim Owens office, it has been revealed.

It raises questions about how the citys former backbencher came into possession of the confidential information and why Labor did not tell the public sooner of the discovery made after it won the citys byelection.

Labor MP Tim Crakanthorp, who inherited Mr Owens Hunter Street office, said on Tuesday that he had found the copy of the cabinet minute late last year in the back of a filing cabinet after he had given evidence to a November hearing for a parliamentary inquiry into the governments planning decisions.

He referred it to the office of the opposition leader.

During a visit to the region on Tuesday, Premier Mike Baird was forced to defend the selected light rail route as one chosen with the citys revitalisation needs in mind, and labelled as conspiracies claims the route was selected to favour the interests of developers.

Fairfax Media reported on Tuesday that Transport for NSW advised the cabinet infrastructure committee in December 2013 that its preferred light rail route was along the corridor for the heavy rail line that was to be ripped up as part of a Newcastle revitalisation plan.

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Rail document found in Owen office: Labor