WEST Lake Macquarie residents will soon be forced to travel to Toukley or Warners Bay to register a vehicle, with the state government announcing the closure of Toronto Motor Registry.
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All of the Toronto registry's services will be transferred to the Service NSW shop in Warners Bay in mid-October.
The decision has sparked a massive backlash from the community.
Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper has started a petition, which calls on the government to keep Toronto registry open and convert it to a Service NSW centre.
Mr Piper said the "short-sighted" decision was a snub to people living in the Southlakes area around Morisset, who would now face a 30-kilometre drive to the nearest Service NSW centres at Warners Bay or Toukley.
"This is a decision made without consultation with the community or the local member and with no appreciation for the needs of local people," Mr Piper said.
"The Warners Bay centre is not easily accessed by public transport and is already struggling to meet demand, with customers reporting long waiting times and difficulty parking.
"With the clientele of two other registries being redirected to this centre, the situation will quickly get worse.
"Toronto is a centrally located, well used, easily accessed registry close to a major retail and business hub - it would have been the perfect site for a Service NSW Centre."
If Mr Piper's petition reaches 10,000 signatures, the government will be obliged to debate the issue in parliament.
