1,000 signatures reached
To: Local Councils, State & Federal Government
Support the Casino to Murwillumbah Rail Service
Please support Northern Rivers resident's campaign to:
•Protect and Repair the Casino to Murwillumbah Rail line for commuter services (NSW Gauge) as soon as possible
•Provide a regular and frequent rail service every 1-2 hours, including at night (or up to 16 trips per day)
•Use Diesel Rail-Car shuttle vehicles possible to convert to bio-diesel/bio-fuels/solar power, or Electric Light Rail if it becomes viable (power station located at Condong sugar mill)
•Focus on starting track repairs in smaller sections (e.g. Byron to Beach Resort, to Mullumbimby, to Yelgun..)
•Integrate rail shuttle services with local bus services and bike paths
•Preserve Murwillumbah to Tweed corridor for future connection to Coolangatta Airport/Transit Centre
Why is this important?
(Background) The Casino to M'bah line was opened in 1894 and operated until the NSW government closed the service in 2004 despite widespread community opposition. The last service on the line was an XPT that only ran twice a day.
REOPENING THE CASINO-MURWILLUMBAH RAIL LINE FOR COMMUTER SERVICES TO CREATE AN INTEGRATED PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE:
•Significantly increasing population (Northern Rivers has the highest predicted population growth in NSW)
•We have a high reliance on private cars. Rising petrol prices, climate change. Rail would be better for the environment by reducing our co2 emissions.
•To reduce Traffic congestion at Byron Bay, Lismore, main highways, local markets and festivals. Rail would provide infrastructure to deal with Peak Tourism periods
•Reduce Road maintenance (buses create more road damage than cars).
•To reduce the Northern Rivers Road Toll, which is the highest in NSW. The Pacific Highway is the most dangerous road in NSW. and there is an accident on Bangalow-Lismore Rd on average once a week. We are losing far too many local lives on our roads, including accidents involving vehicles, hitch-hikers, cyclists or trucks.
•Reduce the high rate of drink driving in the Byron Shire.
•Many towns are currently not connected by public bus services. The Railway connects most towns to the regional centre Lismore, and to tourism hotspot Byron Bay. Connects residents to essential services.
•Trains cater for elderly, disabled, wheelchairs, bicycles and surfboards
•Support locals accessing Education, Housing and Employment, Community Health, Youth ,and Mental Health Services, eg. ‘Headspace' in Lismore
•Will create jobs, reduce social isolation, addresses local social issues and disadvantage
•Promote Northern Rivers Regional Tourism: Heritage Rail, access to recreational activities including local markets, beach, galleries, local produce, festivals, beautiful scenery, country towns, National Parks
•A Rail Trail Study has been announced, but rail trails work much better when integrated with a train service, especially through our terrain and dispersed towns.
•Freight HQ at Casino provides freight opportunities as the rail is adjacent to many mayor supermarkets and industrial areas, and the local area produces crops such as sugar, soybeans, nuts and coffee. Putting road freight onto rail will make local roads safer
•If the High Speed Rail is built in the future between Sydney and Brisbane via Casino, rail travel times from the Northern Rivers to Brisbane will be reduced to 2hrs or less, and will be more efficient than road travel