OPINION: It’s a goer! Get on board the rail trail

THE NSW Government’s decision to stump up a share of $50m for a rail trail along the disused Casino to Murwillumbah rail corridor is a victory for common sense.

THE NSW Government's decision to stump up a share of $50m for a rail trail along the disused Casino to Murwillumbah rail corridor is a victory for common sense.

It's a victory for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail group, local Nats and for this newspaper, which has been actively campaigning for the project for several months.

What I like about this project is that it is clean, green and it will keep the rail corridor in public ownership and open for the potential reinstatement of a rail service, should a future government see fit.

It's also a project to get excited about because it could be built in a relatively short space of time.

Now it is up to the councils along this corridor to get their act together and make this dream a reality.

Not only will it be good for tourism, it will open up areas of the interior that have previously struggled to attract tourists.

If Byron Bay attracts 1.4 million tourists a year, you've got to figure that a good percentage of them are going to hop on a bike and take a ride.

Perhaps our lycra-loving Prime Minister Tony Abbott could be the first cyclist to use the new rail trail when it opens.

Expressions of Interest are now open for local councils, businesses and community groups to get on board with this project. All sorts of businesses could benefit from this project, from bike hire places to B&Bs along the way.

This is a significant investment for our region and one that could provide a benefit for a long time to come.