Muswellbrook Shire Council has decided against contributing $16,000 to a $32,000 feasibility study with Upper Hunter Shire Council to develop a rail trail between Merriwa and Denman.
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A rail trail is the conversion of a disused rail line to a path that is typically used for walking, cycling and sometimes horse riding. In most cases the rail line is ripped up.
At last week’s monthly meeting of Muswellbrook Council a motion was put by Crs Phelps and Ward to defer the matter to the June meeting.
It was resolved $500 be set aside by Muswellbrook Shire Council out of the Investigation and Design for Capital Projects budget to undertake a title search in relation to the project.
The disused railway line in Muswellbrook Shire commences at Gungal and terminates at Sandy Hollow, about 900 metres, with the remainder of the line running from Gungal to Merriwa in Upper Hunter Shire.
The Merriwa Branch Line was opened in October 1917 with stations at Roxburgh, Mangoola, Denman, Myambat, Sandy Hollow, Gungal, Wappinguy and Merriwa.
In the late 1970's the section from Muswellbrook to Sandy Hollow was re-built to mainline standard to allow heavy unit coal trains to work to the Ulan Coal Mine.
General freight and wheat services to Merriwa were suspended in 1988.
At November’s Corporate Policy and Planning meeting, Muswellbrook Council resolved to “endorse support of UHSC’s Expression of Interest for a rail trail between Merriwa and Sandy Hollow … for the purpose of tourism, community connectivity and well-being.”
Muswellbrook’s Manager of Cultural and Community Services compiled a report recommending Muswellbrook make a $16,000 contribution to the hiring of a consultant to complete the Upper Hunter Rail Trail Feasibility Study.
The feasibility study would detail the works necessary to build and maintain the trail, estimate the full cost of the project, and identify current land ownership and leases along the disused rail corridor.
Muswellbrook Council’s preliminary risk management implications on its part of the proposed rail trail, between Sandy Hollow and Denman, have identified poor topography, land ownership issues and higher-than-acceptable life cycle costs.
Council staff at Muswellbrook have been advised Upper Hunter Shire Council’s Expression of Interest application for state government funding for the project was unsuccessful.
This notwithstanding, UHSC is pressing ahead with a feasibility study for the Merriwa to Denman rail trail and is optimistic the study will be completed by July 2015.
