Bigger Story Behind the Rail Trail? Investigative Journalists Should Pay Attention

There is a wider conversation that needs to be had beyond the debate of rail trails versus trains. There is a much bigger story here that deserves serious investigation.

Several years ago, a researcher submitted a PhD thesis to Charles Sturt University titled Countrymindedless, examining why train services in northern New South Wales were terminated by the NSW Government in the late 1980s. The time is ripe to ask a related question: why has the NSW Government remained reluctant to reopen the Northern Rail Line, even over the next 20 years?

At a minimum, the following questions deserve critical and in-depth examination:

Why have both major political parties been reluctant to invest more heavily in regional rail infrastructure, despite the potential benefits for regional growth, connectivity, population growth, housing, and mobility?

Why does the current Labor Government's draft Regional Transport Plan for New England North West state that there are no plans to upgrade the Northern Rail Line, while proposing additional bus services and cycling infrastructure in the short to medium term?

Why can't the Federal Government recognise the cross-border and national significance of the Northern Rail Line between Armidale and Queensland as a nation-building project, particularly given that Inland Rail will not continue beyond Parkes?

Why have successive state governments largely ignored the northern part of New England when it comes to public transport planning and investment, including the potential role of rail?

Why are our elected MPs reluctant to publicly discuss the transport deficit that exists across the electorate?

Why are local councillors hesitant to advocate for improved transport options when many residents do not own a car, cannot drive, or find air travel unaffordable?

Only by finding answers to these questions can we begin to understand why the two councils remain determined to proceed with the rail trail project, including the use of millions of dollars of ratepayer funds.

There is a bigger picture here—one that is not always visible at first glance.

An experienced investigative journalist may be the only person capable of uncovering the full story and reporting it to the public, so that we can better understand the economic,political and regional dynamics at play.