Development of the North-East Rail Trail between Launceston and Scottsdale is a game changer that will generate jobs, stimulate infrastructure growth and help the North-East economy diversify from traditional forestry and agriculture-based industries.
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The legislation delivering certainty to the North-East Rail Trail project has passed the lower house of the Tasmanian Parliament, and will soon be presented to the upper house in the Legislative Council.
This legislation clears up inconsistencies with title arrangements on some short sections of the rail corridor and opens up options for further expansion of the Rail Trail.
I encourage all Legislative Councillors to approve the legislation so that work can begin as soon as possible.
This is the next logical step for the North-East rail corridor, and while some small groups of individuals have raised the possibility of a light rail service using the now decommissioned line, the reality is that the business case doesn’t stack up.
The rail bridges between Launceston and Scottsdale are not structurally fit for light rail, let alone the heavy freight previously using the line. The line was also notorious for derailments during its period of operation.
It’s estimated that to bring all those bridges up to the engineering standard required would be in the order of $20m – and that is before the rail itself and the other infrastructure is made acceptable.
It is difficult to see how such an investment could be justified or recouped and although light rail enthusiasts are no doubt passionate.
If the West Coast Wilderness Railway which travels through some of the most spectacular terrain imaginable cannot pay its way, it would seem other tourist-orientated light rail projects would surely suffer the same fate.
It is a far better use of this public resource to develop it as a Rail Trail, indeed federal government funding has already been allocated and is ready to be invested in this project.
Opening up the Rail Trail means that a wide diversity of people can use it, including not only cyclists, but walkers and horse riders.
While we acknowledge that there are a small number of landowners adjoining the rail corridor with concerns, there are solutions to reasonable issues raised with the council – some have already been agreed to, but it is also important to move forward with this project. Many of the issues surrounding property security, biosecurity and personal safety have been raised at most other rail trails built in Australia and around the world, yet there is no record of these concerns being realised.
This is a key jobs and infrastructure development for the North-East, not just Dorset but for Lilydale, Lebrina and other settlements along the way. In Scottsdale, the benefit of the Rail Trail between Scottsdale and the top of the Billycock Hill is already being seen.
In time, the economic benefits flowing from a rail trail originating in Launceston extending deep into the North-East will be huge. The Blue Derby mountain bike trails show what can be achieved with a firm focus on specific tourism markets.
This is a chance for generational change in the way the North-East views its connection to the wider value-added tourism market, which is increasingly about being active and experiencing more of a destination than can be seen from the window of a car.
- Greg Howard is the mayor of Dorset.