{"id":290748,"date":"2020-12-16T18:53:28","date_gmt":"2020-12-16T08:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=290748"},"modified":"2020-12-16T18:53:28","modified_gmt":"2020-12-16T08:53:28","slug":"grants-sought-for-rail-trail-saleyards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2020\/12\/16\/grants-sought-for-rail-trail-saleyards\/","title":{"rendered":"Grants Sought For Rail Trail, Saleyards"},"content":{"rendered":"
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FLASHBACK: Cr Kathy Duff, Gladstone Cr Desley O’Grady, Mike Goebel, Deb Dennien and former South Burnett Mayor Keith Campbell chatted at a public meeting in Proston in January 2019 which called on the Council to apply for funding to carry out a feasibility study into a Proston-Murgon rail trail<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

December 16, 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n

South Burnett Regional Council plans to seek Federal Government funding to build the Proston-Hivesville Rail Trail and upgrade the Coolabunia Saleyards.<\/p>\n

At Council’s meeting on Wednesday, Councillors were told guidelines for Round 5 of the Building Better Regions Fund had been released that morning.<\/p>\n

Applications will open on January 12 and close on March 5.<\/p>\n

Mayor Brett Otto told the meeting Council had a list of 13 potential projects it would like to seek funding for, ranging from a Mental Health Community Hub to a Tertiary Learning Centre.<\/p>\n

However, only two of the projects could be described as “shovel-ready”: the Proston-Hivesville Rail Trail and upgrades to the Coolabunia Saleyards.<\/p>\n

Under the terms of the BBRF, Council would need to contribute 50 per cent of each project’s funding with the Federal Government making up the balance.<\/p>\n

Councillors voted 5-2 to submit both projects to the next round of Building Better Regions, with Crs Gavin Jones and Scott Henschen opposed.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Proston-Hivesville Rail Trail<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

In 2019, Council commissioned Mike Halliburton Associates – the company which carried out the initial feasibility study into the South Burnett Rail Trail – to examine the feasibility of a rail trail between Murgon and Proston.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cost of the $48,000 study was paid by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, and the final report was delivered in January this year.<\/p>\n

Mr Haliburton found a rail trail along the full length of the Murgon-Proston railway spur line was not viable because cotton growers near Byee now used parts of the former rail corridor to grow their crops.<\/p>\n

However, the report found a shorter, 14km unsealed trail between Proston and Hivesville was viable and could bring significant benefits to both towns.<\/p>\n

The report estimated a Proston-Hivesville Rail Trail would cost $2.2 million to build and $20,000 a year to maintain.<\/p>\n

Against this, it would inject about $786,000 a year into the economy of the two towns and produce flow-on benefits to the South Burnett Rail Trail and Lake Boondooma.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Coolabunia Saleyards<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Council recently decided to retain them in public ownership and had previously carried out a number of studies to determine what upgrades were necessary to streamline and modernise the facility.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The saleyards are a major contributor to the region’s economy and an important facility for smaller cattle producers.<\/p>\n

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