Lake Macquarie City Council has welcomed the NSW Government's decision to nominate Teralba as its preferred site for a Future Fleet train manufacturing facility, describing it as a transformative investment that will help secure the Hunter's future as a national manufacturing powerhouse.
The $12 billion Future Fleet program will create a pipeline of locally based passenger train manufacturing and fleet replacement for the next 30 years, beginning with Sydney's ageing Tangara fleet.
Former mining land at Teralba is now at the front of the line to host the new facility, expected to be a major generator for jobs, investment and income in the local and regional economy.
Existing road and rail links, an ideal geographic location close to the earmarked High Speed Rail route, and prime land ripe for redevelopment as a manufacturing hub all helped Teralba get across the line as the preferred site.
Lake Macquarie Mayor Adam Shultz said the announcement recognised the strengths of the Teralba site and the opportunity to create jobs, attract investment and support the region's economic transition.
"This is a landmark announcement for Lake Macquarie and the Hunter Region," he said.
"This site provides the space and flexibility needed not only for manufacturing, but also for suppliers, research, education, training and future industrial expansion.
"Importantly, moving ahead with Teralba as the preferred site will support the transition of former mining land into productive employment land and help create long-term economic opportunities for communities across the Hunter."
Council has strongly advocated for Teralba since the NSW Government announced its Future Fleet commitment to the Hunter, working closely with government representatives, industry, education providers, unions and economic development organisations to demonstrate the site's strategic advantages.
"It's pleasing to see the NSW Government has recognised what Council, industry and our stakeholders have consistently advocated for," Mayor Adam said.
"Like us, they've identified that Teralba offers far more than a site for a train manufacturing facility. It represents an opportunity to create a vertically integrated supply chain in one location, where capability and capacity can be built from the ground up".
"This is a significant milestone not just for Lake Macquarie, but for manufacturing across NSW. As Australia's largest regional economy, securing the Hunter's economic future is of great importance."
"This outstanding result for Lake Macquarie, the Hunter Region and NSW is the result of tireless work and concerted collaboration between the NSW Government, our local state and federal MPs and Council, and I'd like to thank everyone involved for their united efforts."
"I'm looking forward to working with the NSW Government to progress this major initiative, and Council will do what we can to support and embrace it."
Lake Macquarie City Council CEO David Hughes said the investment had the potential to support local jobs, strengthen supply chains and create new opportunities for future generations.
"Today's announcement is about more than a facility. It is about creating confidence in the Hunter's future and building on the skills, innovation and industrial capability that have long been a strength of our region," Mr Hughes said.
"It also creates an opportunity to establish a significant education and training hub, supporting vocational pathways, apprenticeships and professional development to ensure the workforce of the future has the skills needed to drive the next generation of advanced manufacturing."
