Transplan's Trail Log

Follwing the completion of the 6 week community review period (in which 2 submissions were received) Transplan Pty Ltd has now completed the final report.

The Feasibility Study found that development of the trail through to Birregurra (on the former railway formation), as envisioned by the community, was not feasible. Alternatives, including using the network of local roads, was not considered a practical proposition.

The study did conclude that it may be possible to extend the existing rail trail (from its current end point) through to Barwon Downs. However, at its December 2014 meeting the Colac Otway Shire Council resolved as follows:
1. Endorses the draft Tiger Rail Trail Feasibility Study to be placed on public exhibition beyond the minimum 6-week period in accordance with Council’s Community Engagement Policy 2010, until 13 February 2015.
2. Acknowledges in exhibiting this draft study that the proposed section from Barwon Downs to Birregurra is not considered feasible at this point in time and should not be progressed.
3. Agrees that it does not develop a trail through private land without prior landowner consent in writing.

In summary, the Council’s position is that it will not develop a trail through private land (ie. a trail that dissects private land) without prior landowner consent in writing, received without coercion or duress. This includes land owned by Barwon Water which may or may not be leased out to adjoining landowners.

Consequently, the recommendation of this Feasibility Study that “it may be possible to extend the existing rail trail (from its current end point) through to Barwon Downs” will be entirely dependent on the Council obtaining said consent at some point in the future, should it pursue that course of action. It should be noted that land ownership or leasing arrangements may change in the future and there may be appropriate opportunities to pursue the extension of the rail trail at that time.

Transplan Pty Ltd is working with Mike Halliburton Associates on another rail trail project. This time it’s the proposed trail between Kingaroy and Murgon, in Queensland. That 54km section (in the South Burnett Shire) is potentially part of a much longer rail trail that may one day extend all the way through to Kilkivan in the Gympie Shire.

Our role is to prepare a series of drawings and artists impressions to convey to the community an indication of what the rail trail may look like when constructed. The South Burnett Shire has funding to get on with constructing the rail trail. The images being prepared will be used in the upcoming community consultation.

The rail trail planning process for the proposed Goulburn Crookwell Rail Trail included 4 ‘open houses’ (or ‘drop in’ sessions): 2 in Crookwell and 2 in Goulburn. Each was for 7 hours (noon to 7pm), during which numerous supporters of the project and many adjoining landowners came in to talk with the project team and to view the display material. A series of ‘before’ and ‘after’ images illustrated how the constructed rail trail will look. The display also included a series of of 6 plans depicting the route of the former railway and the major construction elements of the rail trail; photographs of the conditions along the former railway corridor (bridges, embankments and cuttings) and several photographs showing common design solutions being used on other existing rail trails elsewhere in Australia.

The Goulburn 'Open House"

At the recent WA Trails Conference, these fine gentlemen caught up and discussed old times in the trails world of Western Australia. Pictured from left are: Ken Burton, Mike Maher (Transplan Pty Ltd), Hon Barry House MLC, Jesse Brampton (Kulbardi Hill Consulting) and David Forster. All 5 were at the forefront of the trails movement in WA in the mid 1990’s and continue to this day to be planning and/or advocating for more quality trails in WA.

Given the discontinuities of the former railway corridor, and the absence of viable alternatives for a continuous trail between Forrest and Birregurra, the Colac Otway Shire (and the Steering Committee) agreed with the recommendation to not proceed beyond the HOLD POINT (and to not carry out the feasibility study for the originally proposed rail trail between Forrest and Birregurra) and instead directed that a limited feasibility study for the extension of the trail to Barwon Downs be carried out.

The feasibility of extending the existing trail through to Barwon Downs has now been examined in detail, and the results are set out in the report. In summary, the cost is estimated to be around $544,000 (exclusive of GST), subject to the preparation of a detailed trail development plan, including inspection and evaluation of the two timber bridges. The estimated economic benefit arising from local people and visitors using the trail (and spending money in the towns and the region) is calculated to be around $550,000 per annum.

The Feasibility Study report is soon to be considered by the Colac Otway Shire, and then made available for public review.

Transplan Pty Ltd has submitted to the Colac Otway Shire an “Issues and Opportunities Paper” for the proposed extension of the Tiger Rail Trail from Forrest through to Birregurra. The existing rail trail is only several kilometres long, heading north from Forrest. The Feasibility Study has included an extensive investigation into land ownership along the former railway corridor, as well as numerous on-site meetings (and phone conversations) with adjoining landowners and owners of parts of the former railway corridor. It has been determined that around 32% of the former railway corridor is now in private ownership, with most of these owners not supportive of the development of the rail trail. The study included 4 ‘open houses’ or ‘drop in’ sessions (at Birregurra, Deans Marsh, Barwon Downs and Forrest) and the preparation of 4 newsletters which were distributed throughout the communities.