Any proposal to close the rail corridor extending into the Tenterfield local government area to make way for a rail trail will not have the support of Tenterfield Shire Council after councillors voted in favour of maintaining the current rail infrastructure for its future tourism potential.
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The matter was discussed at the December council meeting following a community meeting earlier in the month hosted by the NSW Department of Premier & Cabinet (DPC) seeking to gauge community sentiment on the matter. The community meeting was attended by mayor Peter Petty and several councillors.
Councillors also reiterated their position that any future heavy vehicle bypass be designed such that the integrity of the rail infrastructure and possible future use can be maintained.
DPC executive director Chris Hanger explained to those at the community meeting that the onus for managing and maintaining rail trails once a rail corridor is closed generally falls to the local council, acting on the wishes of its community. As such it will be an uphill battle for a rail trail to extend into Tenterfield Shire without a strong push from the local community, and a solid business plan which addresses the concerns of local landholders and other parties.
The Tenterfield Railway Preservation Society has already expressed its concerns about a rail trail and the closure of the rail corridor affecting its operations, with those concerns reiterated at the community meeting.
The current rail trail proposal supported by the Guyra-based New England Rail Trail group at this stage extends only from Black Mountain to Ben Lomond, straddling Guyra. Mr Hanger, however, said the state government may consider closing the entire 214 kilometre rail corridor extending from Armidale to Wallangarra to avoid revisiting the issue to deal with sections of the corridor.
