Receive Our Free Email News
Stay up to date with the latest news about Rail Trails with our free email news.
Register for news updatesNSW needs your help!
New South Wales, a state with over 2000km of prospective rail trails but only 146km open to date, is at a crucial point.
In late June 2022, the NSW government took three important steps towards faster rail trail development:
- The post-construction report on the Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail was published, showing positive outcomes on almost all measures – Tumbarumba report
- A Rail Trail Framework document was also released, providing requirements and guidelines for the development of rail trails in NSW – NSW Framework
- Draft legislation to allow the NSW government to grant leases to local councils on rail corridors for selected purposes including trail construction was introduced into the NSW parliament – Draft NSW legislation
The draft legislation comes before the NSW upper house again on 9 August. Rail Trails Australia welcomes the new direction that the NSW government is taking. We need your help now to show the NSW parliament that rail trails have wide community support.
Currently rail trail development in NSW is hampered by several factors including the need for individual NSW state legislation to be passed to “close” each abandoned rail line. The proposed legislation will remove the need for individual bills to be passed. The proposed legislation is a very important enabler for future rail trail development in NSW.
Many regional towns in NSW continue to miss out on significant economic and community benefits that rail trails bring, a situation that is now also confirmed by the NSW government’s own Tumbarumba report.
Your help is needed! There are reports of some opposition so please email or write a letter to NSW parliamentarians, especially those in the Legislative Council (upper house), in support of the proposed legislation and rail trails before 9 August. We need to show the elected leaders in NSW that the vast majority of citizens in NSW and across Australia support NSW rail trails, the same support as shown “in the flesh” in Tumbarumba.
You can find a list of Legislative Council members HERE
To show your support for NSW rail trails, send emails to:
- The Minister sponsoring the proposed legislation: The Hon Sam Farraway, Minister for Regional Transport and Roads; email: sa**********@****************ov.au
- The President of the NSW Legislative Council: The Hon Matthew Mason-Cox; email: of******************@****************ov.au
- The Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council: The Hon Penelope Sharpe; email: pe**********@****************ov.au
For NSW supporters, please include your local NSW member of the NSW Legislative Assembly
If you have time, email other Members of the Legislative Council, especially those in minor parties.
More News
The Barossa Marathon on Sunday 23 August was a great success with perfect weather, light winds and a record 3,500 compet...
Heavy rain and subsequent flooding have cut the Southern Flinders Rail Trail in South Australia, 1km north of Stone Hut....
Bass Coast Shire Council (BCSC) has closed a section of Victoria’s Bass Coast Rail Trail due to erosion concerns. ...
Great news for rail trail enthusiasts! A construction tender has been awarded to kick off the next phase of the Wadandi ...
One of Australia’s best known cycling regions has introduced a program designed to help visitors in the area ident...
South Australia’s Barossa Council has received an additional $100,000 grant through the Government of South Austra...
Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) has done it again – winning gold at the 2026 North Coast Regional Tourism Awards...
Rail Trail Australia’s (RTA) Community Grants program 2026-2027 is open and taking applications now. The scope and fun...
Grand Ridge Rail Trail Committee of Management (CoM) has installed brand new information signs along the 13km rail trail...
Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) trail manager Qld Department of Transport and Main Roads has just completed a 10km sur...
Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) is asking for public support to reopen Lapstone Tunnel in the lower Blue Mountains. R...
Show your support for Rail Trails Australia by purchasing from our range of branded Rail Trails Australia clothing inclu...
Rail Trails Australia (RTA) has opened early-bird registration for the 2026 Rail Trails Conference to be held in Canberr...
The Barossa Council in South Australia has installed 2 new bench seats along the Barossa Trail near Angaston. An inclusi...
Rail Trails Australia’s (RTA) Eastern Victoria representative John Birrell attended the July launch of the Great S...
The clearing of part of the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail (BBIRT), from Barrimoon to Barrimoon Rd, towards Kalpowar, h...
Calendar of Events
See upcoming eventsNews Archives
Receive Our Free Email News
Stay up to date with the latest news about Rail Trails with our free email news.
Register for news updatesFeatured Articles
Celebrating RTA’s Volunteers
26/05/25
More News
The Barossa Marathon on Sunday 23 August was a great success with perfect weather, light winds and a record 3,500 compet...
Heavy rain and subsequent flooding have cut the Southern Flinders Rail Trail in South Australia, 1km north of Stone Hut....
Bass Coast Shire Council (BCSC) has closed a section of Victoria’s Bass Coast Rail Trail due to erosion concerns. ...
Great news for rail trail enthusiasts! A construction tender has been awarded to kick off the next phase of the Wadandi ...
One of Australia’s best known cycling regions has introduced a program designed to help visitors in the area ident...
South Australia’s Barossa Council has received an additional $100,000 grant through the Government of South Austra...
Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT) has done it again – winning gold at the 2026 North Coast Regional Tourism Awards...
Rail Trail Australia’s (RTA) Community Grants program 2026-2027 is open and taking applications now. The scope and fun...
Grand Ridge Rail Trail Committee of Management (CoM) has installed brand new information signs along the 13km rail trail...
Brisbane Valley Rail Trail (BVRT) trail manager Qld Department of Transport and Main Roads has just completed a 10km sur...
Blue Mountains City Council (BMCC) is asking for public support to reopen Lapstone Tunnel in the lower Blue Mountains. R...
Show your support for Rail Trails Australia by purchasing from our range of branded Rail Trails Australia clothing inclu...
Rail Trails Australia (RTA) has opened early-bird registration for the 2026 Rail Trails Conference to be held in Canberr...
The Barossa Council in South Australia has installed 2 new bench seats along the Barossa Trail near Angaston. An inclusi...
Rail Trails Australia’s (RTA) Eastern Victoria representative John Birrell attended the July launch of the Great S...
The clearing of part of the Boyne Burnett Inland Rail Trail (BBIRT), from Barrimoon to Barrimoon Rd, towards Kalpowar, h...
One comment on “NSW needs your help!”
I am very happy to support this idea. I drive past so many abandoned sections of railways and the towns along the way. Would love to ride these as rail trails and spend my money along the way. Rail Trails preserve these corridors, not destroy