Mary to Bay Rail Trail Home
History
M2BRT = Mary to Bay Trail. FCBUG = Fraser Coast Bicycle Users Group
FCRC = Fraser Coast Regional Council DTMR = Dept Transport and Main Roads
News:
FCRC Media Release re Mary to Bay Rail Trail
NEWS FLASH FCRC’s M2BRT Advisory Committee is working!
FCRC, at its Council Meeting on 22 February 2023, demonstrated its continuing support for progressing the completion of the M2BRT by agreeing to submit a Grant Application through the Qld Govt Sport and Recreation Minor Infrastructure Program for a crossing at Stockyard Creek. This application. if successful, will also be financially supported by FCRC through a contribution of 20% of the grant allocation.
The FCBUG have also submitted a Grant Application under the Qld Govt Gambling Community Benefit Fund for the establishment of durable by-passes of the six bridges between Takura and the Churchill Mines Road. The by- passes will traverse these gully areas allowing the trail to be accessible and useable in all but extreme weather events.
This application is supported by references from: Bruce Saunders MP, State Member for
Maryborough; Councillor David Lewis, FCRC and Chair of the M2BRT and also Andy Riley. a representative of All Abilities inclusion on that Advisory Committee.
The FCRC, through its Community Development Fund Round 3, has also provided an opportunity to support the M2BRT. FCBUG will submit an application through that fund to provide surface improvement of the trail through the installation and compacting of suitable top dressing to minimise the rocky areas on the Trail. In addition, funding in that application will be allocated to providing a shelter with table and benches at the Takura Trail Head parkland, currently maintained and developed by First Nation Trainees in conjunction with FCBUG volunteers.
All funding received will be complemented by an estimated 800 plus FCBUG volunteer hours in implementation.
The completion of the M2BRT will be dependent on both FCRC and other Govt Funding. The initiative of FCRC in establishing the Advisory Committee to coordinate development and funding has provided a positive momentum to the completion of the Trail and this needs to be acknowledged and appreciated.
PROJECT MANAGER'S REPORT - Ken McDonald
February
- There has not been much rain or physical work on the rail trail in February.
- 3 Bollards supplied by DTMR were installed just west of Churchill Mines Rd.
- Mike Allsopp and Ken McDonald have applied for 2 Grants to gain more funds. The Gambling Communiy Benefit Fund is Qld State-wide fund that is very competitive. The application has been circulated to FCBUG Members ($51,000). Also, a $15,000 Infrastructure Development Grant Application with the FCRCouncil was submitted.
- The third Advisory Committee meeting with FCR Council was held.
- Desley O’Grady, a Councillor from Calliope in the Gladstone RC, visited in her capacity as the Central Qld Representative for Rail Trails Australia. She rode and looked at Bridges 6 and 5 from Takura, after a discussion with Dave McLeod, Mike Allsopp and Ken McDonald. It was a very informative interaction.
- The Project Team is aiming to open the 11km section in August this year. Signage, Safety Plans, Maintenance Plans, Emergency Services Plans and so on will have to be developed to gain approval from DTMR.
- Max Voigt and Ken McDonald have been invited to make a presentation to the Hervey Bay and Maryborough Rotary Clubs in March.
- Future funding is an important issue – little remains.
AMBASSADOR'S REPORT - Dave McLeod
December & January
The public profile of the Mary to Bay Rail Trail is constantly rising with more and more people discovering it. There are now over 2,600 members of the M2BRT FB Discussion Group with continued steady growth, sometimes with sudden jumps after it is publicised in either the Maryborough or Hervey Bay Facebook pages.
In a welcome to all new members, I have asked all members inside and outside of Fraser Coast to email either their Councillor or the Council info email address explaining how much the M2BRT means to them and that they wish to see it completed fairly quickly.
A recent post showing the repairs to the boardwalk on Bridge 3 has reached 21.7K people by last Saturday night. Quirkily enough, there don’t seem to be any direct shares but somehow that many people have seen it. These high “reach” figures are not unusual these days.
There is a steady demand for brochures and I realised the other day that I will need to redraw the “whole of Trail map” to reflect the latest section of licence from Churchill Mine Road almost to Colton and also the temporary brochure will need revising.
We need to expedite the opening of the Trail ASAP. So many people are interested in it and using it that I feel for the sake of safety etc we need to open it. BBIRT has successfully opened its two present sections (Tunnels and Bridges) with some areas in a very rudimentary state. DTMR will require a range of documentation before they give an open licence including risk management and maintenance plan before we can go ahead but these are not particularly difficult.