Fraser Coast Rail Trail Advisory Committee appointed

The appointment of six community members to the Fraser Coast Rail Trail Advisory Committee marks the next step in the development of a shared path for pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders linking Maryborough and Hervey Bay.

Advisory Committee Chairman and Fraser Coast Regional Councillor David Lewis said the community members represented a wide cross section of the groups that would use the trail and have a vast amount of community experience.

“The committee members bring real-life experience which will help us understand the needs of their groups as we develop the rail trail, and they have experience in harnessing community support for projects that benefit the wider region,” he said.

The Community members are:

• Max Voigt – Bicycle User Group;
• Andy Riley – Disability advocate and equestrian experience;
• Steve Case – Fraser Coast Cycling Club;
• Kelly Adams – Wide Bay Trail Riders equestrian-based experience;
• Alan Whyborn – Hervey Bay Triathlon and Fraser Coast Cycling Club, and;
• Peter Duck – Wildlife Preservation Society of Qld, Fraser Coast Branch.

“The reaction from residents and visitors to recent openings of trails in the Gladstone region shows they are well used and attract visitors to a region,” Cr Lewis said.

“I look forward to our first meeting and driving the project forward.”

Council bought the rail line land from the State Government in 1992 to transform it into a shared path for use by pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders that will link Maryborough and Hervey Bay.

Council has invested significantly in the project with the construction of 13.5km of pathway from the Urangan Pier to Nikenbah and a 3.5km section from Piggford Lane to Stockyard Creek.

In 2019, Council endorsed the Mary to Bay Trail Feasibility Study Development Plan to guide future works.

“The new advisory committee will provide a forum for the community and user groups to make recommendations to Council on the development and management of the Fraser Coast Rail Trail and oversee the implementation of the development plan,” Cr Lewis said.

The advisory committee will also include two Councillors (Chairman Cr Lewis and Cr Phil Truscott), one representative from the Department of Transport and Main Roads and one representative from Fraser Coast Tourism and Events.

In the past two years, members of the Fraser Coast Bicycle Users Group have gained state government and Council funding and been heavily involved in refurbishment works of sections of the trail.