The Saint: Promises that are so easily derailed

It will be recalled all too well the guarantees of 'mainly' rail haulage for the now sidelined waste incinerator at Wallerawang - half a million tons per year.

But other 'Lithgow west precinct' schemes are still alive and kicking and so too is the largely overlooked disposal facility at Parkes.

Their deliveries too would have to come our way.

But disruptions to rail movement are all too frequent, planned or a victim of circumstance, as with the current land slip that has crippled all rail movement west of Blackheath for an estimated two months.

So back onto the highways and the nightmare scenario of endless convoys of semis hauling garbage to whatever destination eventuates.

Back to the drawing boards and come up with a workable solution to a problem that wouldn't have existed if the Sydney Basin hadn't been buried under concrete.

STILL on transport issues and indications are that work on the first stage of highway reconstruction through Hartley could be under way by December.

ALSO MAKING NEWS:

A 'new' highway through the valley has been the subject of both political and vested interest argy bargy and string pulling for around 14 years but it now seems there's no turning back from what is now planned for the massive operation from Medlow Bath to Bowenfels. A lot of cost and disruption could have been avoided if the so called 'purple route', from the southern end of Forty Bends through Hartley Vale to the Darling Causeway had been adopted, an option that had reportedly been given a tentative nod of approval from Duncan Gay when he was Roads Minister.

THE column's consultative committee has been discussing the Council plans for a murals program around Greater Lithgow. And with that comes an immediate opportunity for something positive to tizzy up our CBD.

That depressing, some even say hideous, rusted steel faade on the library could be transformed into something far more pleasing with a mural, even depicting our steel industry if that's what they had in mind. A little imaginative art work could do wonders there. Please!

ANOTHER opportunity for a little culture this Saturday morning with a performance at the Lithgow Library by a violin duo from the Lithgow City Orchestra. All free and some light refreshments provided as well.

WONDER if anyone will get around to repairing the damaged railing of the railway bridge overlooking Eskbank Station. Railway authorities are usually quick off the mark repairing anything in their domain so perhaps this is a Council job that's on the back burner. Either way it's been in this condition for months and is long overdue for some action.