Huge turnout to proposed Rail Trail forum in Goulburn

Issues were raised both for and against the proposal, which would see a 56km rail trail built along the disused Goulburn to Crookwell railway line. 

Over 170 people attended the forum, held at the Goulburn Workers Club.

Issues raised from the floor in open question time included: the economic viability of the rail trail, ongoing maintenance of it, bio security, loss of livelihood for farmers, heritage and cultural issues around Crookwell Rail Heritage, continued access for farmers – as well as the possible health, economic and tourism benefits that may flow for the region from the project. 

Apart from an open mic session, people wrote messages on Post it Notes, which were then stuck on the walls under the categories of “against it”, “support it” and “indifferent.”

At the end, there was a sea of yellow Post It Notes stuck all over the walls on either side of the auditorium.  

Session facilitator Samantha Muller said all of this information (including every Post It Note message) would be included in her independent report to the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Minister for Transport and the Minister for Tourism. 

She said the session was being held to “ascertain the general sentiment” in the community for the potential closure of the Goulburn to Crookwell Rail Line to enable the rail trail to proceed. 

The role of the state government in the process was also outlined. It needs to raise an act of Parliament to close the line before anything else can proceed on it. 

The line will remain in state government hands, even after the transfer. It would transfer from Transport for NSW-owned land to Crown Land. 

In addressing the large crowd, executive director of NSW infrastructure and networks Chris Hanger said it was a “once in a generation opportunity” for such projects to get up, considering the amount of funding on the table. 

This includes a $100m Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund and a $300m Growth, Environment and Tourism Fund. 

He said the main benefits of such projects was to increase tourism and give an economic boost to regional NSW. Other rail trail projects are planned at Tumbarumba and near Casino. 

“The state government is investing a once in a generation amount of money into infrastructure in Regional NSW, including tourism infrastructure – because it draws people into the regions,” Mr Hanger said. 

“Rail trails were identified in 2014/15 as one of these classes the government would invest in through a $100m Regional Tourism Infrastructure Fund, which also looked at airports.

“People need to get there and they need activities to keep them there and spend money – rail trails and walking tracks are such types of activities. They offer tourism benefits and we have seen this in Victoria, NSW and New Zealand.”

He said the aim of the funding on offer is to assist those projects in NSW that would draw more people into Regional NSW – and this is the context which the Goulburn to Crookwell Rail Trail has been proposed.

He made it clear the state government had not put the proposal forward, rather that the proponents for these projects were usually councils. 

“We are not deciding tonight to keep the Goulburn to Crookwell rail line open or to close it – it is one step in a further series of consultations that will have to occur,” Mr Hanger said. 

Mr Hanger said the state government did close rail lines lightly. 

“There is about 6000Km of disused rail corridors in NSW and we contract John Holland Group to maintain these in a light sense,” he said. 

“We would not want to disturb this arrangement until we are sure the community is behind a proposal to use it in a different way.” 

He said the proponents, Goulburn-Crookwell Rail Trail Inc, would have to produce a detailed business case and address all issues raised.

People who still want to have their say can email Regionalnsw.business@dpc.nsw.gov.au before March 2.