Rail corridor will 'get tourists off Byron beaches'

BYRON mayor says a multi-use project on the rail corridor could be the "game-changer” of the shire.

RAIL POSSIBLE: Sections of the Tweed to Byron Rail trail line. Picture: Scott Powick

BYRON Shire's mayor said a multi-use project on the rail corridor could be the "game-changer" of the shire, and that it was a good tactic to move tourists off the beaches.

The council will lobby State Rail on the possibility of a multi-use rail corridor in the shire.

Cr Simon Richardson said: "We know dispersing our tourists out of the bars and off the beaches can be done through this".

The council spent $230,000 on a report investigating the possibility of Multi Use of Byron Shire Rail Corridor from Bangalow to Yelgun.

Cr Richardson said the report stated the project would see an estimated 700,000 cars off the road.

He said the project was "rich with funding opportunities".

"They will be knocking on our door saying, 'let us play in this space'.

"The track is in pretty good nick and the benefits are clearly apparent."

In a meeting yesterday, the council voted to put the pre-feasibility study by Arcadis on the table and unlock confidential reports so the public can access them.

The only document currently available to the public is the final summary report.

The council voted to make most of these documents available to the public.

The majority also voted for an amended motion to request a meeting with relevant state government representatives seeking possible collaboration and support for establishing a multi-use project within the rail corridor, and request an agenda item on the activation of the project be added to the next Northern Rivers Joint Organisation agenda.

Byron Shire Council does not own or have any management rights on the rail corridor.

Arcadis's investigations conclude that there is a community and economic need to reactivate the corridor to address a number of transport challenges in the shire, a council report states.

The engineering inspections highlighted that the corridor was in reasonable condition and that it had the capacity to support very light rail vehicles at moderate speeds.

The report listed a number of variable options, including very light rail, hi-rail, AV vehicles/ driverless pods, guided busway and active transport and walking.

During the debate Cr Paul Spooner said the project was "a fancy road for buses on a rail trail".

He said the full cost of a rail corridor is about $200 million.

"The $230,000 spent so far is a beginning taste of the massive financial drain which would undermine the financial stability of this council if this project is to proceed.

"If Byron Council was in the stock market, alarm bells would be ringing over such an unsound investment proposal and the share price would be going at a gut-wrenching free fall.

"The only track I think this train is going on councillors, is a dead end one, and it's not going to end pretty."

Cr Coorey, Hackett, Spooner and Hunter voted against the amended motion.