TWO petitions against the closure of Belmont and Toronto motor registries are gaining traction in their respective electorates, with more than 2500 signatures collectively obtained.
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Led by Swansea MP Yasmin Catley and Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper, the independent campaigns are in response to the recent news of the state government’s plans to open a ‘‘one-stop shop’’ Service NSW centre in Wallsend.
Belmont and Toronto motor registries are next in a long line of single-agency shop fronts to close as the government rolls out Service NSW centres across the state.
These centres offer extended trading hours and provide access to more than 800 government transactions including drive testing, licences, registrations and Seniors Card applications.
They have already opened in Newcastle and Warners Bay.
Work is scheduled to start on the Wallsend centre in October, due to open to the public in December.
Ms Catley said she had collected about 2000 signatures from petitions placed in newsagencies and shopping centres.
She said her email and Facebook accounts had been flooded with community feedback.
‘‘People are really outraged by this decision and they’re really concerned, particularly about the elderly and the young, who have to make their way to motor registries to get their learner driver licences,’’ she said.
Ms Catley aims to collect 10,000 signatures and take the matter to parliament, where she will call on the government to reverse its decision.
Mr Piper has collected more than 500 signatures in his electorate, calling for the government to not only reconsider the closure of the Toronto motor registry, but to convert it into a Service NSW centre.
‘‘If the government had cared to speak to the community and the local member, it would have discovered that the Toronto Motor Registry is a well-used agency on a centrally located, easily accessible site – in other words, the perfect spot for a Service NSW centre,’’ he said.
Mr Piper addressed the Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Dominic Perrottet, in parliament during question time on Thursday.
‘‘I am asking the minister to direct the bureaucrats to go back and reconsider the optimum site of a Service NSW centre for western Lake Macquarie based on practical considerations such as travel distance, accessibility, public transport availability and proximity to other services,’’ he said.
Mr Perrottet said he would monitor the situation.
■ To sign either petition, phone Ms Catley’s office on 4972 1133 (Belmont) or Mr Piper’s office on 4959 3200 (Toronto).
