Justine Elliot (Richmond, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about a fantastic project in my electorate, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. Rail trails exist in Australia and indeed all around the world and utilise former rail lines and networks. The concept is relatively simple. Effectively, the rail corridor remains and the tracks are filled in or simply removed, and the resulting trail serves as a walking path or even a riding way for horseback riders or people on bikes. It connects towns, villages and tourist spots along the way. It is a visionary concept and one that will work in the New South Wales Northern Rivers.

For many years the Northern Rivers Rail Trail group has held this vision and continues to work in the community and gain support for this important project. The group recently achieved an amazing crowdfunding effort of $75,000 to go towards progressing the project. The overall idea is for the rail trail to extend right across the Northern Rivers, 130 kilometres in length and across five local government areas, including the Tweed, Ballina, Lismore, Byron shire and the Richmond Valley shire. The project is therefore divided into sections, with each shire planning towards a workable proposal. The Tweed shire has given priority to develop a 24-kilometre section from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek, incorporating the villages of Stokers Siding, Burringbar and Mooball. The Tweed shire's proposal was recently acknowledged by the state government, who've finally committed $6.3 million in funding towards the project. This recent announcement is indeed a great community victory. I acknowledge and thank all those who worked hard on that victory.

Tweed Shire Council has also dedicated a financial contribution of $600,000 towards the project. In light of this, I wish to mention the disappointment our community felt as a result of the recent decision by the Turnbull Liberal-Nationals government to not support further funding of the rail trail through its Building Better Regions fund, for which the Tweed Shire Council applied for matching funding of $6.3 million to complete this important project. I do, however, want to congratulate the council on what I believe was a very strong application and on the work they have achieved so far. Despite this recent rejection by the Turnbull government, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail has widespread support within our community. It's recognised that the rail trail will bring great opportunities in tourism and will be beneficial to our local economies.

But Labor at all levels supports the rail trail concept. Recently my state colleague Walt Secord, the New South Wales shadow minister for the North Coast, spoke in support of the rail trail in the New South Wales parliament. His support was in reference to the 2017 transport administration bill that was before the house at the time. And I know that Tweed Labor councillor Reece Byrnes is also an ardent supporter of the rail trail and serves as the council's representative to the Northern Rail Trail organisation. So, Labor at all levels on the North Coast supports this project. I only hope that in future rounds the council will be successful in its application and will get on and get support for this fantastic local project. I again call on the Turnbull government to fund the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. This is a project that has great community support. This is a project for which we have fought for a long time. I call on the Turnbull government to make sure that they fund this important project.