The local Byron and Mullumbimby chambers of commerce, and the Northern Rivers Rail Trail Supporters (NRRTS) are asking everyone who supports making the rail trail happen to get on board and sign up to support the rail trail at www.northernriversrailtrail.com.au/support.
Speaking to The Echo, Byron Shire Mayor, Sarah Ndiaye, said that at the 18 June Byron Shire Council (BSC) meeting she will move a notice of motion (NoM) to find out exactly why they didn’t meet the criteria for the previous grant application and what they can learn.
Cr Ndiaye said they want to fully understand what they need to do to have the project ‘shovel ready’.
‘The NoM will also look at grant funding opportunities or other funding models for all sections of the rail trail in Byron Shire as well as look at the development of a publicly available Rail Trail Masterplan for the Shire,’ she said.
‘The knockback has only strengthened my resolve and that of many others to make this happen.’
‘We’ve been waiting for this for so long,’ said Craig Barnham who runs the Billinudgel Hotel with his brothers Mitchell and Jorden, and Andrew (Panda) Maloof.
‘A few months ago, when the Council finally decided to go ahead and build on formation it felt great. We felt so much relief, finally, common sense seemed like it was going to prevail.
‘This is our chance to connect our area to everything else that is local to us. People could travel the area without needing to use a vehicle and rely on taxis later at night,’ he said.
‘Billinudgel came about because the station got put here and the town grew from that. For the last 20 years it sat there dormant, and we’ve sort of sat here a little dormant as well. It’d be awesome to have it open in this new form as a rail trail. It would once again be the lifeblood bringing the town back to life like it has done for Burringbar, Stokers Siding, and Mooball.
‘The rail trails in Tweed and Lismore shires and may other places around the world have proved how much they activate local towns and businesses,’ said Janelle Stanford from the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce (MCC).
Pat Grier, President of the NRRTS agreed, telling The Echo that, ‘This project is already delivering for our region, and we are seeing first-hand the benefits it brings. Completing the trail will take that impact to the next level, creating a connected experience that attracts more visitors and drives long-term economic growth.’
Support the rail trail
Pat said they are collecting signatures to demonstrate to the state and federal governments that the local community is strongly behind the Northern Rivers Rail Trail (NRRT).
Good for business and getting around
The existing rail trails in Tweed Shire, and from Lismore to Bentley, have demonstrated how effective they are at activating towns, businesses, and working as a corridor for people to transit between villages and towns both walking and on bikes.
‘It is incredibly disappointing to see the funding not come through for the next sections of the rail trail,’ Tweed Mayor, Chris Cherry, told The Echo.
‘The NRRT has the potential to be an internationally significant tourist attraction and it moves tourism away from the coast which is great for resilience and sustainability. We can see from the success of the Tweed section that the economic benefit it generates is much broader than bike hire and coffee. We have seen the flow on impacts to all of our hinterland villages and towns it passes through.’
Jane Laverty, NSW Business Regional Director for the Northern Rivers told The Echo that Business NSW has supported the Northern Rivers Rail Trail for many years.
‘Business NSW will continue to work alongside local chambers, councils, and regional stakeholders to advocate for investment in projects that create long-term value for the Northern Rivers.
‘While this funding outcome is disappointing, we do not see it as the end of the conversation. Regional projects of this scale often require persistence, strong evidence and continued regional alignment,’ she said.
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