Well, thus far we have held up the destruction of the north-east rail line for over two years. Now, the state Government has decided to listen to the dissent and has commissioned a $50,000 viability study for tourist and heritage rail.

And that started out with the employment of a track inspector (notwithstanding that North East Residents and Farmers (NERAF) had already done and paid a specialist to do that. Quite amazing though: the second specialist, in a conversation with adjacent landowners outrightly condemned the line “because all the fishplate bolts were frozen” Halloo! we’re in Tasmania now and of course they are frozen. We don’t get the rates of expansion that is experienced on the mainland. What a pity the Tasrail employee who was driving the inspection vehicle didn’t know either!

This could prove a rocky road, as it seems that the terms of reference may have been dictated by Dorset Council. What we have asked for is a check on the veracity of the cycle proposal, which seems dodgy as well as unpopular. Of the four Public Forums we have held: Lebrina, Lietinna, Launceston and Lilydale, only two of the 500-plus people that attended indicated by a show of hands their preference for a cycle trail. Now, what will the cyclists get? They’ll get a trail “about two metres wide – no shoulders” with a surface of crushed blue metal – that will keep the road bikes on the road. On top of that, a 7SD/7LA poll last month demonstrated 72% for the retention of the rails. That too was ignored.

We have received replies from the Federal Minister for Infrastructure addressing our complaints regarding non-compliance with the guidelines for grants under the National Stronger Regions Fund (NSRF). His underling, the General Manager Regional Programmes Branch, Ruth Wall, “noted” our complaints but did nothing about them. Is this due diligence? A stated “community engagement strategy”, which never happened and now Dorset have told their ratepayers that it won’t cost them a cent! Yet, matching finance for the $1.47 Million grant was to come from the Council – and now it’s not.

Has the conditions of the Grant been met? No.
STUART BRYCE Chairman North East Residents and Farmers