Council Meeting: Today at 4.00 pm
Agenda Item: 9.2 – New England Rail Trail Plan, Stages 1 and 2 (Preliminary Works and Approvals)

Armidale Regional Council (ARC) plans to enter into a contract with NSW Public Works, the same body that reviewed the rail trail business plan and provided feedback to the Council. This raises a legitimate question about whether a conflict of interest exists — given that the same entity may act both as consultant and contractor for the same project.

According to the Chief Officer of Planning’s report, the total cost of preliminary works and approvals for Stages 1 and 2 is $1,083,500. Nearly $600,000 of this amount is expected to come from an unspecified “external source.”
The Council must clarify:

Who this external funder is, and
Whether proper procedures and policies were followed in negotiating this funding.
If this money is linked to a renewable energy company operating within the New England REZ, the community deserves transparency about the negotiations, ethical considerations, and the decision-making process — particularly when there are many other pressing community needs.

Furthermore, the Council should explain why it intends to spend $1,083,500 on the same type of preliminary work that Glen Innes Severn Council has budgeted at only $170,000.

Questionable Visitor Estimates
The report cites projections of 9,000 day visitors and 11,400 overnight stayers annually. Logically, this seems inverted — one would expect more day visitors than overnight visitors. Moreover, where are these overnight visitors supposed to stay? Are there sufficient accommodation options between Armidale and Ben Lomond? These figures appear to lack credibility and could reflect unrealistic assumptions in the Halliburton business case.

Poor Track Record and Community Division
Anything presented by this Council regarding the rail trail should be approached with caution.
ARC has already failed multiple times to secure sufficient funding for the project:

A $5.4 million grant was withdrawn after years of inaction,
Two subsequent grant applications were unsuccessful, and
The project continues to divide the community, as reflected in the growing petition against it.

Given this record, why should ratepayers support another attempt to spend more public money on a “fail trail” project?

Viable Alternatives Ignored

There are active businesses and community groups working to restore rail operations north of Armidale, including:

New England Innovation and Development Pty Ltdplanning to set up a meat processing facility in Guyra,
New England Railway Inc., which is restoring two heritage diesel motor sets for future tourist operations, and
A Newcastle-based rail construction company that has expressed interest in exploring freight opportunities.

Why does the Council continue to ignore these credible and forward-looking rail initiatives in favour of a bike trail that requires the removal of existing rail infrastructure?

From the beginning, many residents have been skeptical of this plan — that’s why so many of them  signed the petition opposing it. Please encourage others to sign as well. We need more community support before submitting the petition to the relevant Minister, Transport for NSW, and the NSW Parliament.

Attend the Meeting Today
Community members will have the opportunity to speak for and against the rail trail proposal at today’s meeting:

Time: 3:30 pm (discussion begins before the 4:00 pm meeting)
Venue: Armidale Council Chambers
Arrive early, as seating may be limited.