Glen Innes Severn Council, at its meeting on Thursday, November 22, will work with Armidale Regional Council to develop the New England Rail Trail linking the two towns.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Turning the 103 km stretch of disused railway into a recreational cycling and walking track is expected to increase tourists, as has happened elsewhere in Australia and New Zealand.
"I see this in the future as a really good opportunity for people to come up, have a bike ride, stay in a pub, have a cuppa, look at the little towns on the way, and enjoy,” Mayor Carol Sparks said.
READ ALSO:
A recently commissioned report by Mike Haliburton Associates and Transplan P/L, specialists in planning recreation and heritage trails, estimates the trail to bring at least $4.6 million to local economies from local, day trip, and overnight visitors.
Council will seek government funding for the project. The total cost for the Rail Trail within the Glen Innes Severn Local Government Area is estimated at approximately $11 million.
Council will also contribute $5000 this financial year to develop a business case for the plan, in conjunction with Armidale Regional Council.
It will detail financial and economic marketing of the Rail Trail project as a precursor to applying for the government funding, including operational and maintenance costs.
Before the rail trail can be opened, however, councils must lobby state government to close the line and put it in public hands.
"That's an ongoing process,” Cr Sparks said. “As many people as possible should speak to Adam Marshall about that."
Cr Sparks has talked to Byron Bay mayor Simon Richardson about offering packages up into the mountains to visitors to the popular tourism spot, once the trail is open.
NSW’s first Rail Trail, from Tumbarumba to Rosewood, will serve as test case for the New England Rail Trail.
Goulburn Mulwaree mayor Bob Kirk has just finished his business case for a rail trail to Crookwell, which will go up to government soon.
Toilets and drains
Council will also build a new toilet block at Melling Park as part of the Federal Government's Drought Communities Programme, a $1 million economic stimulus scheme.
"We need a toilet in our parks, and the closest toilet was a long way away," Cr Sparks said.
"It's an absolute need, and because it's such a beautiful little park, and they've got great equipment there, it was an obvious choice for us. We want our community to have all the amenities required."
Council will buy a specialised drain cleaning truck to replace the existing SECA Projet trailer unit.
The combination vaccum jetting truck ($219,000) can clean pipes up to 750 mm in diameter, newer pipes, and both big and small stormwater pipes.
They will also buy a CCTV camera ($79,000) to inspect sewer mains.