Dear all,

Armidale Regional Council(ARC) is seeking submissions from residents and rate payers about the 2023-24 budget and the Operational Plan.

As you know, ARC is seeking a 58% rate rise(it is with IPART now). My concern is that ARC still plans to proceed with the Rail Trail between Armidale and Ben Lomond as part of the operational plan(See under Connectivity). 

Following are some concerns and observations about the proposed rail trail and alternatives available but ignored by the council so far:
1. Rail Trail is not in the long term best interest of the region when the council is planning to bring more population, business and industry to the area.  A reactivated rail line will be far better.  Same for attracting more visitors to the area. (last Saturday a shuttle train operated between Armidale and Uralla 3 times.  Almost full.  On Sunday another train carried  passengers  from Armidale to Kootingal hotel for lunch and return.Morning and afternoon tea provided. Train with three carriages was full)
2. Rail trail is part of the cost shifting exercise of NSW government.  Once the corridor is leased by the council it will have maintenance and operational responsibility for the lifetime of rail trail. At present the cost of this is understated.  With inflation and other cost pressures it can be much higher.  How can a council starved of funds undertake new assets such as a rail trail for the life of its existence?
3.  Better connectivity can come from a train service between Armidale and other towns especially if it runs to the Qld border. Only the able bodied people will be able to use the rail trail(gravel based unlike other rail trails)  leaving behind more vulnerable sections of our community to their own devices.
4. So far, no adequate community consultations especially with the landholders along the line.  To gain any legitimacy, wider community support for the project is necessary.  it is also a government requirement for rail trail proposals.
5. Questionable business case not apparently commissioned or paid for by the council (it is believed that a rail trail lobby group funded it) and unrealistic estimates of visitor numbers and future income.  Nearly half of the estimated visitors to ride the rail trail are supposed to be staying overnight!
6. Building the bike trail elsewhere or applying for funding for mountain bike riding could be far more attractive to those intending to visit the area.
7. Projects like the one by Organic food manufacturer David Peters (On Track International Holdings) or the future plans to run heritage trains by New England Rail Inc. could be ground breaking initiatives that the council should support instead of the fail trail for which the council has not received full funding yet.
8.  There is no point in using the bushfire funds to build and complete a rail trail so many years after the 2029-20 bushfire event.  By the time rail trail is completed it will be at least 2026 .  According to the Halliburton Business Ccase and plan(2018), it will take 4 more years after completion to reap the full benefits of the rail trail.Even that is after the council spend more money on promotion and advertising.
9.  Rail trail is to be built in a route not directly affected by the bushfire.  There are more deserving causes and projects for bushfire funding can be used.
10. Merely because previous administrator and council made a decision to apply for funding and proceed with the rail trail, current council needs to analyse today's prevailing conditions including the council's budgetary situation and future opportunities that need to be harnessed. According to Queensland government's SE Qld Transport Strategy, the population there is to grow by another 4.5 million by 2041. We should capitalise on the growth over the border.
Finally, our council should be advocating with the NSW government to get better transport for the region rather than hooked up with a project with no real benefit to the council(no fees will be charged from cyclists).  There will be only cost obligations. Majority of the community do not support the rail trail but they want the trains back north of Armidale. It is time that the current council listens to the people's voice so strongly expressed in a variety of ways. 

Send a submission to the General manager, ARC by 14th June 2023 to express your views and concerns. Armidale Regional Council, PO Box 75A, Armidale NSW 2350 or sent by email to: 

council@armidale.nsw.gov.au