Southern NSW Rail Trail Workshop raises issues, forms working group
In August 2024 Rail Trails Australia’s Regional Representative for Southern NSW, Dennis Puniard, presented at and was a co-facilitator of the Southern NSW Rail Trail Workshop, which brought together 34 delegates, 18 of whom represented rail trail groups with rail trail proposals at various stages of development.
The NSW Rail Trails Framework was released in June 2022, following an assessment of two pilot projects. All projects following must work within the framework, however since its release, it has not yet been successfully applied to any new rail trail proposals.
The framework stipulates that only councils can lease the land for up to 30 years, so without council approval for a rail trail, it cannot go ahead. “The main issue identified at the workshop is council support,” reports Dennis. “The second major issue is there are no funds available or grant opportunities from New South Wales Government,” says Dennis.
One of the main outcomes of the workshop was the formation of a working party. “We’re not going to be lobbying councils – that’s up to the local committees – but we can start lobbying New South Wales Government,” says Dennis. “There’s a need for a strategy for trails, and, more importantly, the need for funding for rail trails,” he says.
Dennis’ biggest takeaway from the workshop was: “The success of having all these people talk to each other, the enthusiasm, and the prospect of having 4 to 5 rail trails in southern New South Wales in the next 5-10 years…”
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More News
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