Adjudication No. 618 (January 1993) [1993] APC 10

ADJUDICATION No. 618 (January 1993)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint brought by Alderman John Sutton against the Newcastle Herald over an editorial. The editorial on 3 June 1992 in the Newcastle Herald called for the termination of the railway line at Civic Station. The removal of the railway line to Newcastle would, it said, open the city to the Harbour, and take away a straitjacket on Newcastle's CBD. This is a contentious issue in Newcastle.

In the editorial the paper said:

"Two years ago, in the wake of a transport study recommending such an interchange, the Government accepted the idea in principle."

Ald John Sutton claimed he could find no such recommendation in the study. This was published in the "PHONE YOUR SAY" column in the Herald on 6 June 1992. The editor added a postscript saying the bus rail interchange was one of the options in the Travers Morgan study commissioned by the City Council and State Government Steering Committee. The Steering Committee had adopted the option of terminating the railway line at an interchange at Civic.

Ald Sutton then wrote to the editor. He pointed out that the Travers Morgan study considered the option of a transport interchange only in the context of terminating the railway line at other stations.

Central to this complaint is the use of the word "study". Should it be restricted to the Travers Morgan study, or can it include the recommendations of the Steering Committee which was established to supervise the study?

Little advantage can be gained in determining whether one or other interpretation of the word "study" is "correct". The Herald published Ald Sutton's views with its own added, and indicated on 10 June 1992 to Ald Sutton that its columns were still open to him. In an issue of such importance to the people of Newcastle, the Press Council believes that use of this avenue is the appropriate course of action.