Recent articles in the South Gippsland Sentinel-Times about the Korumburra Business Association have promoted their support for a plan to extend the rail trail from Leongatha to Korumburra and further toward Melbourne.
It sounds like a fine project with the rail trail commuters being a source of increased revenue for Korumburra businesses but is of little advantage to others in the area.
The Korumburra Business Association does a great job for Korumburra but they do not represent the majority of the shire’s population.
Other residents within the shire have been lobbying local and state government for years to have the rail service to Melbourne returned.
A regular response to that request is that the railway easement and track base have deteriorated to such an extent since the service was closed that the expense of reinstating it would be prohibitive.
The decommissioning of the rail line from Leongatha to Nyora at this time would result in a similar response in the future, to even a local rail service.
Times have changed and we are having to deal with the vagaries of very erratic weather effecting farm production returns as well as increased prices for fuel.
In the long term the return of the rail service to Melbourne would be a boon to South Gippsland by providing a safe inexpensive means of travel for children, adults and older residents.
In the meantime reinstating the Nyora to Leongatha tourist rail service and running it a few days a week would provide at least some public transport between local towns and localities which don’t even have the luxury of a bus service.
Elizabeth M (Libby) Lambert, Bena.
Keep train hopes on track
Latest Comments
So the Committee of the Great Southern Rail trail from what I hear handed control and maintenance of the rail trail to South Gippy Council as their funds had run out for maintenance. Where has the money come from for this maintenance in the past. ? Business seems to want to reap the benefits of a meagher few that ride the trail but don’t want to chip in for the maintenance so then the ratepayers have to foot the bill for these trails and now they want to extend it and rip up the tracks ! If the government comes along tomorrow and ripped the tracks out I’d say yes, waste your money on a bike track. But no the rails are still there and quite useable with not much maintenance required, so how about the Korumburra business association keep your mits away from the rail corridor.