The information below was provided by Complete Our Rail Trail (CORT).
“Bridge the Gap” was the resounding message protesters delivered to the Minister for Conservation & Environment Sherryl Garbutt and the Mount Lilydale College.
The rally was attended by more than 300 people protesting Ms Garbutt’s decision to halt development of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail at Maroondah Highway. The government has endorsed the land zoning for public open space – parkland recreation.
“Bridge the Gap” was the resounding message protesters delivered to the Minister for Conservation & Environment Sherryl Garbutt and the Mount Lilydale College.
The rally was attended by more than 300 people protesting Ms Garbutt’s decision to halt development of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail at Maroondah Highway. The government has endorsed the land zoning for public open space – parkland recreation.
“The rally overwhelming called on the school to “bridge the gap” in the community and work together for a resolution. There was a resounding demand for the government to support the council’s bid to build the bridge over Maroondah Highway bridging the gap between the popular recreation trail and Lilydale Station,” Mr Francis said.
The protesters streamed up Maroondah Highway from Lilydale Station to Queen Rd under Police escort on Sunday morning to highlight the dangers recreational tourists faced coming to the valley without the completion of the trail’s last 2km from Lilydale Station to Maroondah Highway.
Yarra Ranges Council has set aside $150,000 towards the pedestrian and cycling bridge across Maroondah Highway at the rail trail.
Bicycle Victoria’s Richard Smithers told the rally the rail trail was generating significant economic benefits to the Yarra Valley townships along its current 38km length and the final link to Lilydale Station offered huge potential for the station precinct to become a tourist hub with cafes and shops serving the increasing numbers of cyclists and walkers wanting to use the MET system to walk or cycle through the valley.
Mr Francis called on Ms Garbutt to urgently convene a meeting of the school principal and a representative of the Committee of Management to start working towards a workable solution.
“The fears held by the school principal can be addressed if the parties get together and talk about their needs and search together for solutions,” Mr Francis said.
“We believe there is a win-win solution there and it would be extremely sad if the government perpetuated this rift in the community by failing to broker a solution.”
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Register for news updatesSunday, 4 June, saw the Mansfield Marathon along the Mansfield end of the Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT) return for t...
Paul Baker, an enthusiastic rider who is aiming to ride every rail trail in Victoria in 2023, recently rode his 29th Ra...
The section of the Port Fairy – Warrnambool Rail Trail between Port Fairy and Illowa will soon benefit from a new surf...
The community have the opportunity to provide direct feedback to assist the Mt Alexander Shire Council in partnership wi...
The City of Greater Bendigo will shortly commence a project to construct and install public toilets, bike hoops, new par...
A large crowd turned out today (Friday 26 May) on a beautiful morning at Trawool Estate for the official launch of the A...
On Wednesday 10 May 2023 a public-information session was held for community members to view and discuss the plans for r...
The duplication of Main South Road from Seaford to Sellicks Beach has commenced and will include a 16km off-road shared ...
The Bunny Rail Trail is a new trail under development between Ballarat and Buninyong in Western Victoria. Walkers, runne...
The good news just keeps rolling in for the Tweed Section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail with the Tweed Council NRRT ...
On 17 May 2023, Cessnock City Council unanimously approved the Review of Environmental Factors (REF) and associated repo...
The third South Burnett Express Rail Trail Relay, run from Kingaroy to Wondai (on the Kilkivan – Kingaroy Rail Tra...
The catchily-named Eastern Dandenong Ranges Trail will have its 800m extension from Edenmont Rd to Belgrave-Gembrook Rd ...
The Coast to Vines Rail Trail in South Australia now has a new side trail called the Flat to Vale Trail and while it is ...
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The Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT) Art Installation Project is on track to be completed by the end of April as planne...