In August, Rail Trails Australia regional representative for southern NSW, Dennis Puniard, presented at and was a co-facilitator of the Southern NSW Rail Trail Workshop, which brought together 34 delegates, 18 of whom represented groups with rail trail proposals at various stages of development. The NSW Rail Trails Framework was released in June, 2022, following an assessment of two pilot projects. All subsequent projects must work within the framework but, since its release, it has not been successfully applied to any new rail trail proposals.
The framework stipulates that only councils can lease railway land, for up to 30 years so, without council support for a rail trail, it cannot go ahead. “The main issue identified at the workshop is council support,” Dennis said. “The second major issue is there are no funds available or grant opportunities from the New South Wales Government.”
One of the main outcomes of the workshop was the formation of a working party. “We’re not going to be lobbying councils, that’s up to the local committees, but we can start lobbying the state government,” Dennis said. “There’s a need for a strategy for trails, and, more importantly, the need for funding.”
Dennis’ biggest takeaway from the workshop: “The success of having all these people talk to each other, the enthusiasm, and the prospect of having four or five rail trails in southern NSW in the next 5-10 years…”
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Register for news updatesExcitement is mounting as bridge works on the Yarra Valley Rail Trail near Yering in Victoria start to take shape. One o...
The Coast to Vines Rail Trail has a 4 km rural section between the suburb of Seaford Rise and the township of McLaren Va...
The NSW government has responded to a recent question on the possible return to rail services on Great Northern Rail Lin...
Last week the Fraser Coast Regional Council announced that it will request the Queensland Government to contribute $9 mi...
Our judge (a former newspaper travel editor) has selected the best rail trail review from a range of reviews submitted o...
Rail Trails Australia has announced the winners of $10,000 worth of grants designed to assist community organisations to...
Rail Trails Australia’s regional representatives are often testing out ‘their’ rail trails in the regi...
Our vice-president Steven Kaye was interviewed by Nic Healey on ABC radio (Victoria) this week. He discussed how local c...
Get ready to ride the Great Victorian Rail Trail (GVRT) on Saturday, March 29. Cycle Dindi is a fully supported, family ...
Comments on the extension of the Mornington Railside Trail south of Melbourne close Friday 31 January. The draft master...
Transforming a disused railway line into a prized tourist attraction and public space is no easy task. The Summer 2024-2...
Building a shared bridge over busy Toorak Rd on the Outer Circle Rail Trail in Melbourne was not one of the state gove...
Tablelands Regional Council (TRC) and Mareeba Shire Council gathered at Walkamin recently to celebrate the joining of No...
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