The General Manager
Armidale Regional Council
PO Box 75A
Armidale NSW 2350
13-may-2026
Dear Sir,
I write to formally express my strong opposition to the proposed rail trail development on the existing railway formation between Armidale and Ben Lomond, including any removal of rail infrastructure and the proposed allocation of approximately $2.6 million from Council funds for preliminary works.
I urge Armidale Regional Council to seriously explore alternative options that allow for the development of walking and cycling trails without destroying existing rail infrastructure. There are successful examples elsewhere where recreational trails coexist with preserved railway corridors, including the Parramatta–Liverpool corridor, the Parramatta–Carlingford corridor, and the Oberon–Tarana corridor. These examples demonstrate that recreational opportunities and future rail preservation do not have to be mutually exclusive.
The current proposal has deeply divided the community. At a time when regional communities need unity and long-term planning, Council projects should aim to bring stakeholders together rather than create further conflict. Council should facilitate discussions between all groups and businesses with legitimate interests in the rail corridor and seek common ground and shared outcomes.
There are several emerging proposals and opportunities that rely on preserving the railway corridor and its infrastructure. These include:
– The plans by New England Railway Inc. (NERI) to restore heritage, passenger, and freight rail services toward Llangothlin.
– The proposed meat processing facility at the former Guyra abattoir site by New England Innovation and Development Co. (NEID).
– Project Nucleus and related organic food processing proposals in Guyra at the former abattoir site.
These initiatives have the potential to generate long-term employment, freight opportunities, tourism growth, and improved regional connectivity. Council should remain open to all proposals from the community and business sector rather than prioritising a single, divisive proposal advanced by the New England Rail Trail Association. (NERT)
Core transport infrastructure should be planned with a medium to long-term vision. The current rail trail proposal appears focused primarily on short-term recreational outcomes without adequately considering future transport, freight, tourism, and economic development opportunities for the wider New England region.
Rather than converting the rail corridor into a rail trail, ARC should prioritise the maintenance, upgrading, and expansion of existing walking and cycling infrastructure throughout the local government area. My understanding is that there are already six or more walking and cycling trails operating within the ARC area. Additional standalone bike and walking trails could also be developed without removing railway infrastructure, including:
- A trail to the Dumaresq Picnic Area
- The already well-developed Blue Hole trail proposal, which deserves ARC’s support and funding consideration.
ARC’s own projections regarding visitor numbers associated with the proposed cycling/walking trail also raise important questions. If the region is expected to attract more than 11,000 overnight visitors and more than 8,000 day visitors annually from the cycling/walking trail project, why are these visitors not already coming to use the existing trail infrastructure throughout the region? Furthermore, I question how the projected annual economic benefits for the proposed NERT cycling/walking trail are estimated to be almost double those attributed to the Tweed Shire Rail Trail project, which has now been operation for 3 – 5 years?
Community concern regarding the NERT cycling/walking trail is already significant and growing fast.. My online petition through Change.org opposing their cycling/walking trail proposal has already attracted more than 5,000 signatures.
I respectfully appeal to ARC to reconsider its current direction and adopt the more balanced and sensible alternatives outlined in this submission. Proceeding with NERT’s current proposal risks long-term financial loss to ARC, community division, and the permanent destruction of strategic and important transport infrastructure that should be used to link ARC to Brisbane, Newcastle, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide, using a GNR Rail Freight Artery, going both north and south through the entire New England region.
If any of the GNR rails, sleepers and associated infrastructure is removed, then the New England region will lose the future opportunity to re-activate the GNR railway connection between Armidale and QLD to support better mobility, freight movement, tourism, and regional connectivity. The prospects for reopening the GNR line over the QLD border to Wallerawang have become increasingly relevant following the Federal Government’s recent decision to terminate Inland Rail at Parkes.
There is now renewed national attention on upgrading and utilising existing rail corridors and infrastructure, especially when they are still owned and controlled by the NSW and/or Federal governments.
Finally, I wish to my raise serious concerns regarding conflict of interest disclosures made during the October 2025 ARC meeting by the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and another Councillor who identified their association with the New England Rail Trail Association. Given the divisive nature of this proposal and the active public advocacy undertaken by some elected representatives, including public promotion of the NERT walking/cycling trail through media interviews and mayoral social media platforms, it is important that ARC Councilors maintains the highest standards of transparency, impartiality, and ethical governance.
Sincerely,
…
Siri Gamage
Armidale Railways Advocate
Armidale NSW 2350