The mayor of Upper Lachlan Shire says her council will not support a rail trail that will impose 'costly' maintenance responsibilities on her council.
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Councillors voted five to four at an extraordinary meeting last Tuesday to withdraw support for the proposed 56km Goulburn to Crookwell rail trail. Instead it will provide 'non-monetary support and advocacy to Goulburn Mulwaree Council for the establishment of a rail trail within the Goulburn Mulwaree LGA.'
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Goulburn-Crookwell rail trail approaches final leg as biosecurity concerns come into focus
The narrow vote has ended years of cooperation over the concept and according to Upper Lachlan councillor, Paul Culhane, 'killed' the project.
But Cr Kensit has defended the stance given what she said were changed circumstances.
"As a small shire we can't take on any more infrastructure maintenance; we have to look after what we have now. We are stretched to the limit as far as manpower goes," she said.
Cr Kensit was unconvinced that subsequent grant funding would fund the trail's maintenance. She said the state government had made similar past assurances about the SES but this and many other services were largely funded by councils.
The state's Rail Trail for NSW Evaluation Summary released last week, also found that a 'lack of funding' for ongoing maintenance on the Northern Rivers and Rosewood to Tumbarumba projects was a concern for proponents. Councils are responsible for maintenance but land managers and volunteers can be enlisted.
Although the actual Goulburn to Crookwell rail trail is proposed to be funded by yet to be secured grants, the mayor says she cannot not support this either.
"My moral compass says we shouldn't be spending money on rail trails when we have people in flood hit communities up north living in shipping containers. People are in dire straits," she said.
Cr Kensit also argued the cost could blow out from an earlier estimated $14 million for construction to more than $20m. She said it was not in her nature to spend money on "something that wasn't a necessity."
The mayor told The Post she had not been lobbied recently by landowners along the route concerned about biosecurity. One group, Landowners Affected by Proposed Goulburn to Crookwell Rail Trail has lodged an e-petition to NSW Parliament against the project.
But as a landowner herself, she said she understood their concerns.
As to why the council had withdrawn its support now, Cr Kensit said it was a new line-up of councillors who were "fiscally astute" and understood the pressure to maintain and upgrade existing assets that had been allowed to age.
Councillors also "robustly" discussed the matter in a workshop a week prior but the mayor said no decisions were made.
Upper Lachlan had previously backed a feasibility study on the rail trail proposal but the mayor said the council would not commit further funds in a climate of rising interest rates and costs, which would have "knock-on effects."
Like her colleague, Cr Nathan McDonald, she believed 14km was a far more practical length.
"There is nothing to stop it going ahead in Goulburn Mulwaree," Cr Kensit said.
"...I'm very pro rail trail but not in our shire. It is too long and too costly. We're a tiny shire and we don't need to go broke. We can't put ourselves on the line for something that might be."
The Post also contacted Cr Nathan McDonald for comment on why he proposed the amendment to Tuesday's extraordinary meeting to withdraw support. The council had not approved his response by the time of publication.
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