Bushfire damage is holding back the High Country Rail Trail from reaching its true potential, and it is time for the newly elected state government to step in.
Spanning 80km between Wodonga and Shelley, the HCRT is a scenic ride through farmland and alongside the spectacular Lake Hume.
However, the rail trail is in dire need of repair. Three historic railway bridges in the Upper Murray were burnt in the Black Summer bushfires (B1-3 in figure below). A trail detour around a historic trestle bridge must also be completed (D1). With these important restorations, we can finally complete the 21km extension from Shelley to Cudgewa (and eventually onto Corryong).
Throughout the Victorian election, Bicycle Network pressed a number of candidates and voters alike in certain priority seats to consider funding key active transport projects. One electorate we focussed on was the seat of Benambra in Northern Victoria, where the High Country Rail Trail (HCRT) is located.
Liberal has held the Benambra seat for decades, but recently only by a small margin. Liberal candidate Bill Tilley is poised to take the seat again in 2022, despite a strong campaign effort from independent Jacqui Hawkins.
With health being a focal point of the campaign trail, it is surprising that the HCRT, a promising asset for active recreation that has existed for years has been overlooked.
With its bucolic scenery and heritage bridges, the fully refurbished High Country Rail Trail extending to Cudgewa could be one of the most spectacular rail trails in Victoria.
State funding to upgrade and extend the rail trail could be a massive economic win for not only the Benambra electorate, but also the Victorian economy. We only have to look to the nearby Murray-to-Mountains Rail Trail, which is bringing in millions of tourism dollars each year, to see how local economies can thrive from rail trail investments.
Fixing the trail is a two-step solution:
- Replace three bushfire-damaged footbridges (B1-3, below)
- Construct a detour at Needles Picnic Area (D1, below)
The take-home messages
- The High Country Rail Trail is an 80km rail trail between Wodonga and Shelley in Victoria’s northeast region.
- Restoring the burnt footbridges and constructing a trail detour at Needles picnic area will allow the rail trail to run a further 30km from Shelley to Cudgewa and onto Corryong.
- Improving the HCRT will allow locals to get physically active, and will encourage higher numbers of tourists to visit the High Country region
- It is anticipated that 5.2 million people will visit the High Country annually by 2025. Improving the HCRT will stimulate economic activity along the trail’s key townships.