Dear Senator Nick McKim,
Congratulations on the official opening of the North East (Tasmania) Rail Trail today at Scottsdale Railway Station. We are touring cyclists from Queensland, and we are excited by this new opportunity to revisit your beautiful state, enjoy your wonderful wines and cuisine, and cycle the Rail Trail.
I appreciate the task of converting a disused railway line into a Rail Trail is thwart with obstacles. Many folk cling to the hope that the existing railway line will be revived despite the economic and practical impossibilities.
In our region, there is a similar proposal to convert the disused railway line that runs from Murwillumbah, to Byron Bay, Lismore and finally Casino into a Rail Trail. Sadly, there is no possibility that the train on this route will be reinstated. As you know, a Rail Trail offers safe and healthy alternative transport options while introducing a wonderful tourism attraction for the local businesses and the proposal has enjoyed widespread support.
One of the obstacles to the proposal for a Rail Trail, however, comes from the Greens candidates, Ms Tamara Smith and Ms Mehreen Faruqi who believe that the train will be reinstated.
It seems that there is a conflict in Greens’ policy between one state and another. It is hard to understand the resistance from Green candidates in our local area to the proposal for a Rail Trail when Rail Trails are proliferating in other states with full Green support, like your North East Rail Trail in Tasmania. It would be useful to our efforts if the benefits and advantages of Rail Trails was shared throughout the Greens membership Australia wide.
Sir, can I appeal for your assistance to overcome opposition to the Northern Rivers Rail Trail that is coming from the last quarter we would have expected?
Linda Carmody, Arie Hendriks, Coolangatta, Qld
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