Northern Rivers Rail Trail – Lismore to Bentley section

Lismore City Council, Richmond Valley Council and Tweed Shire Council are collaborating to deliver a program to help businesses leverage opportunities for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

The program will be delivered by Meredith Wray, a leading regional tourism expert.

The program will help businesses to understand the economic opportunities surrounding the Trail and how they can capitalise on the new regional asset. It will include insights from ambassadors from the Tweed section of the Rail Trail, updates on project construction at Casino and Lismore, and knowledge sharing to support business growth and diversification.

LISMORE

Date: Thursday 16 November

Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Venue: Two Mates Brewing

RSVP: REGISTER HERE

CASINO

Date: Thursday 9 November

Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm

Venue: Casino Golf Club

RSVP: REGISTER HERE

Design has commenced on the Rail Trail linking Lismore to Bentley with the Concept design now available for comment.

The project will transform 16.5km of the disused rail corridor into a destination for residents and visitors to enjoy. This section joins the Casino to Bentley section currently under construction by Richmond Valley Council, opening up a 29.5km route from Lismore to Casino.

The project team has been meeting with adjoining landowners during May and June to ensure existing property amenity and operations are adequately safeguarded. The landowners have been overwhelmingly positive about the opportunities the Rail Trail will bring to our region. Interest in this project has peaked following the successful opening of the Tweed to Crabbes Creek section.

We now have the concept design and are starting to engage with the wider Lismore community. There will be further opportunities to provide feedback before construction starts in late 2023.

The $9.9 million project is funded by Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund to boost recreation opportunities, tourism, and local economies.

Review the concept design HERE.

If your property borders the proposed rail trail between South Lismore and Bentley we want to consult with you to ensure we get the best outcomes for everyone.

We invite you to book in a 1:1 time with the project team so we can ensure your views or concerns are heard and taken onboard when designing the Lismore to Bentley section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

These detailed design meetings will ensure your existing property amenity and operations are adequately safeguarded.

The 30 min design meetings will be taking place during May 2023.

Please use the booking link below to book in a time for your design meeting. If the times available are unsuitable please get in touch so we an find an alternative time.

BOOKING LINK: https://calendly.com/rail-trail/landowner-design

The first step towards delivering the Bentley to Lismore rail trail will get underway soon.

Lismore City Council wants landholder input on the project, which is 100% funded by the Federal Government’s Building Better Regions Fund.

The project will convert 16.3km of the old rail corridor between Bentley and Lismore to a trail for recreational use to boost tourism, recreation opportunities and local economies. It will link onto the Casino to Bentley section currently being completed by Richmond Valley Council.

Extensive planning and research underpin the development of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail. Please refer the attached fact sheet for further details on the project.

Get involved and let us know what’s needed

If your property borders the proposed rail trail we want to consult with you to ensure we get the best outcomes for everyone.

Please provide your contact details (Name, Address, Phone, Email) using one of the methods below by Wednesday 11 January 2023. Any residents that we don’t hear from will be followed up with door knocking between Thursday 12 January and Friday 20 January 2023.

Enter landholder contact details here

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail is a proposed 132-kilometre recreational shared-user pathway from Murwillumbah to Casino.

Staying within the railway corridor of the former Casino to Murwillumbah branch line of the North Coast Rail Line, the trail's route is proposed to meander through the Northern Rivers countryside, passing through the major towns of Casino, Lismore, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah.

The trail will be constructed in four stages, each delivered separately by each of the four local Councils as funding allows.

On 8 October 2021, the Federal Government announced a $9.9 million grant to construct the 16.3km Bentley to Lismore section of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.

Both the Casino to Bentley section in the Richmond Valley Council area and the Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek section in the Tweed Shire Council area have already been funded and are at varying stage of construction/design work.

The entire project is designed to attract the rapidly growing hinterland tourism market, as well as locals - creating business and job opportunities and boosting the local economy.

Next Steps

Following the Government’s October announcement, Lismore City Council will now begin detailed design work for the Bentley to Lismore section.

This 16.3km section will start at Bentley’s Back Creek Bridge and finish at the Lismore Railway Station, South Lismore. As the rail trail passes through South Lismore it will provide important connections to the existing local network of pathways.

The section has 29 railway bridges, some of which have structural timber elements that are in poor to unserviceable condition. This will be further investigated during the design stage.

At this time, we envisage that significant railway infrastructure and sections of duplicate railway track near the Lismore Railway Station will be preserved and improved for users to appreciate the historical railway origins of the Rail Trail.

Once the design work is finalised and construction begins, it is expected it will be completed within two years, weather permitting.

This year will be a big one for the Northern Rivers Rail Trail, with 54km of the planned 130km set to become a reality.

Not for profit community group the Northern Rivers Rail Trail Supporters has been working closely with councils and communities to revitalise the neglected and abandoned rail corridor from Murwillumbah to Casino.

A car-free pedestrian connection for locals and tourists alike, the Rail Trail will be used for all active eco transport and recreation, including walking, running, bikes, riding, mobility scooters, prams, and multi-day adventures.

With support from all levels of government, three sections of the Rail Trail are fully funded and ready for construction. These are Tweed to Crabbes Creek, Casino to Bentley and Bentley to Lismore.

“The significance of this project from a community and visitor perspective will be felt for generations to come,” Northern Rivers Rail Trail vice president Cameron Arnold said. “Reinvigorating the disused corridor for all to use, whilst ensuring it remains in public ownership, is a huge win.”

The cycling community injected $16.8 billion into the Australian economy last year, according to the Australian Cycling Economy 2021 Report by We Ride Australia. The Northern Rivers Rail Trail will draw such dollars inland, creating supplemental profit, every day of the week, for local businesses and beyond.

Rail trails have been a huge success in many other parts of the world, including New Zealand and Victoria. The Tumbarumba to Rosewood Rail Trail in the NSW Snowy Valley, which opened in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has seen several new businesses opening and many existing businesses thriving, due to its ongoing popularity as a tourist drawcard.

“That is overwhelmingly the case in every country, in every state where a Rail Trail has been built,” Cameron said.

Cafes and hospitality venues, bike hire and repair, accommodation and experience-based businesses will all have access to new customers.

Eltham Hotel owner/operator Matt Rabbidge said the Rail Trail offered an exciting opportunity for small towns that are outside of the regional hubs. “It’s a really good way for small businesses to encourage new eyes on the place, be that people stopping through walking or riding on their bikes — to stop in and support the businesses,” he said.

The 24km Tweed section, which runs from Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek, is full steam ahead, with a 200m test section currently under construction. “Murwillumbah locals may have seen the main site office set up at the Murwillumbah Station and people may start to see crews preparing for the first construction works,” project director Iain Lonsdale said. The 24km Tweed section is on track to be completed by December 2022.

Casino to Bentley (16.3km), which is managed by Richmond Valley Council, has begun vegetation clearing, while detailed design work is beginning on Bentley to Lismore (13.5km), which is managed by Lismore City Council.

“We believe these sections will be an overwhelming success, which will then further strengthen the support for the completion of the rest of the trail,” Cameron said.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail Supporters believe the Byron Bay section, which is still being debated, would provide huge benefits — especially as the small town battles issues including overtourism, visitor management and traffic bottlenecks. The Rail Trail project would provide an alternative car-free path for low impact tourism, inject additional profit for local businesses, and entice visitors to travel out to other scenic villages in the hinterland.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail Supporters believe that, once completed, the Northern Rivers Rail Trail will be something very special. It will be the longest in NSW, and the third longest in Australia*, linking 12 schools, villages and towns, beaches, native bushland and working farms. It will help create deeper connections between the region’s unique smaller communities, business and tourism opportunities, health and wellness, and eco conservation and historical elements.