Voice of Byron regular, Robert Sampimon, has written this road map for addressing the issues to be resolved in deciding how to use the Byron Rail Corridor.
The Byron Line investigation
Multi use of the rail corridor within Byron Shire
Resolved that Council with the intent to illustrate to the State Government a community wide support for multi use of the rail corridor within Byron Shire and to prepare for possible funding opportunities:
- Supports a dual use within the rail corridor, comprising public transport provision in conjunction with a walking and cycling path where feasible.
- Convenes a meeting with the community group, Friends of the Byron Line, MPs Tamara Smith and Ben Franklin and representatives of Regional Development Australia- Northern Rivers, to consider opportunities to develop a consultant’s brief for completing a state and use of the rail corridor report and an economic and social feasibility report, in order to present a formal, costed and community supported project within the rail corridor to achieve local transport and tourism benefits within Byron Shire.
- Notes the following that may need to be included in a brief:
State and Use of Corridor Report
1. Engineering study on re-instatement of railway:
- bridge conditions and costs for repair
- track condition and cost for repair
- other infrastructure
2. Engineering study on construction of a walking and cycling path within the rail corridor but clear of the rail line itself and possibly diverting out of the corridor where there are significant obstructions like narrow rock cuttings or tunnels
3. Identification of pinch spots
- consideration of facilitating signalled, shared uses or diverting trail
- land identification and costs for outside corridor land access
4. Accessibility Issues
5. Weights of transport options and implications.
6. Speeds and required fencing
7. Residential impact-noise etc.
Economic and Social Feasibility
- Park and Ride option including possible locations, estimate usage
- Events and Festivals- estimate usage, including utilising Yelgun and Tyagarah stations
- Markets- usage estimates
- Analysis of local and regional
- Estimate local and regional patronage catchment
- Estimate community benefits and savings of decreasing car use-environmental and road network
- New business opportunities arising within corridor
- Above and below rail costs.
- Funding models-including cost sharing options-public and private
- Options if transport activity is disrupted, out of service
- Health and social benefits
- Risk management
- Peripheral and adjacent land uses and value add opportunities
- Degree of community revitalisations
- Tourism usage
4. That a report be provided to Council prior to Easter 2017 with the outcomes of the meeting referred to in 2 above.
5. Reports back to Council a draft brief, with recommendations as to:
- A preferred structure of the consultants brief; ie, the possibilities of creating two or three separate briefs to report on varied aspects within the overall brief.
- Ways forward to seek expressions of interest
- The work that can be completed within Council, with community assistance and by consultants
- the possibilities of complimenting information required within this brief with other council investigations, in particular its Transport Study for Byron Bay
- a funding source
6. Writes to the MPs Tamara Smith, Ben Franklin and Walt Secord; informing them of this resolution with requests for their assistance in supporting Council’s endeavours.
7. Writes to Regional Development Australia- Northern Rivers, informing them of this resolution with requests for their assistance in supporting Council’s endeavours.
8. Writes to neighbouring councils, informing them of this resolution with an invitation for them to participate in investigating the feasibility of a multi-modal use of the rail corridor. (Richardson)