More good news awards and accolades for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail

Posted on 20/05/23

The good news just keeps rolling in for the Tweed Section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail with the Tweed Council NRRT Project team winning the Conservation-Landscape category section in the National Trust Heritage Awards. This is great news on top of the public approval of the rail trails with visitor numbers well exceeding what was expected.

Project Director Iain Lonsdale, Tweed Shire Council (right) and Project Manager Alex Manning from NSW Public Works (left) accepting the Award on behalf of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

NRRT Project Director Iain Lonsdale said the Rail Trails win in the Conservation –Landscape category was a testament to the commitment and dedication invested in preserving and showcasing the rail, natural and culture heritage aspects of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

This week at the Kingscliff Business Chamber the theme was “Gold Coast Airport, Tourism & The Rail Trail” which had guest speakers Amelia Evans (CEO Gold Coast Airport), Cameron Arnold (Chair of Destination North Coast NSW), Michael Thurston (GM Destination North Coast NSW), Brad Nardi (GM The Tweed Tourism Company) and Tim Coen (President Rail Trails for NSW). Stepping in for Nicole Manderson, Program Leader, Destination & Industry Development who was unable to attend due to illness, was Bob Anthony, Industry Development Officer from the Tweed Shire Council.

The event was put together by Chamber President Councilor James Owen from the Tweed Shire Council and all speakers and attendees were all heaping praise on the rail trail construction and popularity.

All were in agreement that the future success of the rail trail will be in seeing the other sections (which are under construction and planning) completed. The overwhelming opinion was that for the rail trail to reach its full potential it will need to be completed in its entirety. This may take some time, especially with the granting of a license to a private company Northern Rivers Rail Ltd to do a study of the rail corridor in the Byron Shire to bring back the train service.

Destination North Coast Chair Cameron Arnold spoke of government funding for rail trails saying that there is only a limited amount of funding available with many worthwhile and well-prepared rail trail groups seeking funding. He said that that groups need to be well prepared and to continue lobbying governments for funding.

On a more positive note, it was refreshing to hear Gold Coast Airport CEO Amelia Evans talking about the airport’s journey back from the Covid lockdowns and border closures. She spoke of how overnight how all the international and domestic tourism ground to a halt and of employees that lost their employment. She had a positive vision of the future and how the Gold Coast Airport wanted to be seen as an international and domestic gateway to the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. It was refreshing to hear a CEO talking of connectivity to the airport in the future of cycling paths and both heavy and light rail connections to the airport from both sides of the border. The newly completed $500 million international terminal uniquely includes a line through the baggage hall marking the border of QLD and NSW which is sure to be popular for photos.

From left to right are Brad Nardi, Councillor James Owen, Bob Anthony, Amelia Evans, Tim Coen, Cameron Arnold, Michael Thurston.

4 comments on “More good news awards and accolades for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail”

Great news all round. Many of my friends on the Sunshine Coast have made the trek down with our bikes and one for one we have loved it! We are all avidly waiting for the next bit to be opened. We’ll make the trek again to NRRT and do it all over again meanwhile!

It was great to see Stephen Brown, RTA Northern Rivers rep. at his RTA info table at the Business Kingscliff event. An early start to what proved to be an unseasonably cold, wet and windy day, yet it was well attended and a worthwhile event.

"……the granting of a license to a private company Northern Rivers Rail Ltd to do a study of the rail corridor in the Byron Shire to bring back the train service."

NSW Gov will not put any $$$ into a boutique rail service, even if the so-called one-year 'study' presents a favourable case.

What a waste of time!

I agree Dennis. I suspect the 'licence' granted is the same any person can apply for to access a defunct NSW trail route. I cannot see how a train or light rail service limited to a single track corridor that's been out of service for almost 20 years with defunct stations, signalling, road level crossings and many degraded or missing viaducts and which will need to run to a constricted timetable and employ many people can compete with a 24×7, self-service shared user path, especially with the explosion in reliable and increasingly affordable e-boosting and easy bike hire.