Concerns Regarding Armidale Council’s Rail Trail Proposal for the Meeting on 22 October 2025
By Siri Gamage
Regional Rail Advocate, Armidale

After losing a $5.4 million government grant last year and failing in two subsequent grant applications — amid strong community opposition — Armidale Regional Council (ARC) is now seeking approval to enter into a contract with NSW Public Works for preliminary works and to secure approvals for the proposed rail trail between Armidale and Ben Lomond.

The Chief Officer responsible for Infrastructure Planning is also seeking Council’s endorsement to allocate a further $600,000 from an undisclosed external source for this purpose.  Whether this source is another Renewable Energy Company in New England REZ is yet to be seen? If so the councillors as well as the community need to be informed before considering the proposal before the council meeting this week. 

This move comes at a time when a significant portion of the community is calling for the restoration of train services, at least as far as Glen Innes, as a first step toward reconnecting the northern part of New England to the broader rail network. Many residents face considerable difficulties accessing essential services and would benefit from affordable travel options to Tamworth, Newcastle, and Sydney for medical and other needs.  Not all can afford high air fares at a time when cost of living pressues are rising.

Importantly, the NSW Government is currently seeking public submissions for the New England North West Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan, which will guide transport priorities for the next 20 years. Yet, ARC appears to be unconcerned and even bypassing this vital regional planning process in favour of a single, narrow project promoted by one section of the community.

Shouldn’t the Council be thinking more strategically — ensuring that any transport initiative for the local government area addresses broader issues of long-term mobility, stability, sustainability, and prosperity?

How could building a cycle track within the rail corridor — after removing the rail infrastructure and selling the steel — possibly compensate for the long-term loss of a vital transport asset? Such a move would severely limit future options for reliable, affordable, and sustainable transport linking the region north and south.

Why is the Council so intent on pushing one “active transport” project like the rail trail, which offers limited community-wide benefits, while ignoring other feasible initiatives that rely on preserving the rail corridor north of Armidale?

Would it not be more productive for the Council to consider all transport-related projects in the pipeline collectively, as the NSW Government is doing, in a holistic and coordinated manner to achieve better long -erm outcomes for the region?

It is difficult to see evidence that the current Council leadership has fully explored or negotiated broader investment opportunities in the transport sector — particularly given the advanced plans by several proponents to utilise the existing rail line north of Armidale. For instance:

New England Railway Inc (NERi) plans to operate heritage train services north of Armidale and has already obtained costings following a rail line study in 2024.
New England Innovation and Development Pty Ltd has advanced proposals for a meat processing facility at the proposed Guyra Industrial Park and is currently finalising financing and technical details. Just last week, consultants held extensive discussions with meat researchers at the University of New England to explore collaboration opportunities.
Businessman David Peters, who operates an organic food processing business in Tenterfield, is seeking land in Guyra to relocate his operations currently based in metropolitan areas like Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
A rail construction company in Newcastle, with global operations, has expressed interest in assessing the Armidale–Queensland rail line for potential freight opportunities — especially given the uncertainty surrounding the completion of the northern section of the Inland Rail project.
Given these initiatives and developments, the Council should be prioritising inclusive, future-oriented transport and regional development planning, rather than locking the region into a single-purpose cycle path that risks undermining broader economic, social, and transport objectives.

Note: In the General Meeting of Armidale Regional Rate Payers Association(ARRA) held last night members passed the following resolution:

"In view of the Strategic Regional Integrated Transport Plan (SRITP) process currently being undertaken by the NSW government for New England-Northwest for the next 20 years (with community inputs), and because of the lack of funding for the New England Rail Trail (NERT) at this point in time, and strong community opposition to the removal of rail line to build it, Armidale Regional Ratepayers’ Association (ARRA) resolves to request Armidale Regional Council (ARC) to put on hold decisions on the subject of NERT pertaining to the item 9.2 in the Ordinary Meeting agenda (22 October 2025) until further community consultations are conducted in good faith and alternative options to build the rail trail from Armidale to Ben Lomond, without removing the existing rail line, are seriously examined.  ARRA also notes that to achieve ARC’s plans for future growth, by attracting more population, industry, business and professionals, could be better realised if the region has better public transport involving both road and rail. Given the recent experience with flooding on the Mid-North Coast, frequent disruptions to air services, cost of air travel and the need to look after the interests of vulnerable segments of society, highlights the need for the Council to plan for the long term, not necessarily to pursue short term goals.   Halliburton Report states that even after the completion of NERT, it will take five years to achieve the stated visitor numbers, overnight stays and the projected income. That is even with Council spending more money for promotion and marketing. This means that the social and economic dividend from the rail trail project will not be potentially realised until at least 2030.  This is a concerning dimension for ARRA".