Funding for the rail trail Glen Innes  section has been withdrawn.

Source: GISC Agenda for November 2024 meeting, Annex A p.21. 

The note by Keith Appleby states the following. 

"The application for a third party access agreement has been executed and survey commenced, however advice has now been received from the funding body that the offered funding has been withdrawn".

There is reliable information that the bushfire economic recovery grant for Armidale Regional Council  has also been withdrawn or not been approved for re-purposing to a shorter section(9.3 kms from Armidale to Dumaresq station). But this is not  officially and publicly acknowledged yet by the ARC.

I understand that there will be a public announcement about the status of both these grants next week.

Implications of this funding withdrawal can be huge for a flagship project by the GISC and potentially for the ARC.

All along we the train supporters  have been saying that the two councils should look at alternative ways to build the rail trail (bike and walking path) without removing the existing rail line because of the significance of our rail line as a public asset that can connect our region to Queensland in the future. Council leaders did not heed our suggestions. As a result community became very divided.

In the case of Glen Innes, train suporters conducted a survey and communicated the results to the relevant ministers. The telephone  survey conducted by GISC itself showed that a majority did not suport a rail trail. In the case of ARC, the proposal to grant authority to the GM to sign deeds and start preliminary works to construct the rail trail(reduced section) was debated in the April 2024 meeting and a motion was passed to put on hold the plan until further information about the new plan was provided to the councillors. However, in the May meeting the decision was overturned and a majority councillors supported a motion giving authority to the GM to proceed with the work on rail trail and seek government and funding agency approval for the 9.3km section(in the motion there was a request from council staff to investigate the practicality of constructing the rail trail withoiut removing the rail line also).

Having to return government grants or the two councils not being able to access them for the re-purposing of the rail trail to shorter sections is not pleasant news.  When this news is known,  those who campaigned for the rail trail to become a reality will be disappointed. However, this result can provide space for critically reflecting where it all went wrong?

The train supporters like me have always been clear about our position i.e. we are not against a rail trail but we are against the plan to remove the existing rail line for the purpose. There are plenty of other places and ways to build a bike and walking path.  In the case of ARC, it can extend the existing bike and walking path to UNE and develop an attractive extendion to the Dumaresq picnic area. Hub and spoke concept can be used to develop bike paths  including mountain bike trails that have become popular in other LG areas e.g. Tenterfield.

Now the council leadership needs to find a way forward with the participation of all stakeholders rather than adopting a "my way or highway approach". The lesson here is that the unity of the community is essential for any local projects to succeed. 

As an example, we can look at the way the MP and community organisations are working together in Orange to get fast trains.  They held a meeting at the end of October to discuss the plan.  Minister Jenny Aitchison was a main speaker.  Here in New England, we need a second train from Armidale to Sydney.  We also need an extension of the train service to at least Glen Innes as first step.  If there are cyclists who want to come and enjoy bike rides in the area they can come by train and ride bike trails.  There are many bike trails already in both LG areas(according to one colleague who studied the subject, there are hundrds of existing bike trails in New England).