Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail AGM

22 September 2015.

President’s Report

It is my pleasure to report to this, the sixth Annual General Meeting of the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail. In doing so, this highlights a special year for the Friends group and the vision to have a network of quality trails for local communities and visitors to this area.

Looking back

Why is 2015 such a special year? Well it has been five and half years since the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail was formed and began a journey to have the O’Keefe Rail Trail lifted out of its then dismal state of neglect and extend the length of this pioneer Victorian rail trail.

The name ‘Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail’ set the scene as to what the bigger vision was, a thought provoking name to get people to take off their blinkers and challenge some of the preconceived views.

Of course the immediate challenge was to have the O’Keefe Rail Trail cover the whole distance that Andrew O’Keefe built the railway for the Victorian Government between 1887 and 1888. Surely it would be easy to build a rail trail where a railway line once was, yet in hind sight the 21st century would present some similar challenges that Andrew had faced!

Gaining the support of City of Greater Bendigo managers and the Councillors in late 1999 was a major step forward. The four individuals, of Helen Cronin, Ken Hanson, Mark Slater and I who had been drawn together that year, could see a faint light at the end of what had previously been a long dark tunnel. The vision began to gather support and gain momentum, yet the outcomes were not certain.

In attempting to get commitments and funding, a number of presentations were made on behalf of the Friends group. Many organisations and pollies were canvassed. One such presentation was to the then State Minister for Regional Development Victoria and Bendigo East member, Jacinta Allen MLA. The City Council management and Regional Development Victoria were later to strike an agreement, to co-fund the trail’s

PO Box 578 Bendigo Vic 3552 | E: bendigokilmorerailtrail@gmail.com | W: bendigokilmorerailtrail.com | Inc A0054089L

extension with $3.22M, and this new project would formally commence on 1st July 2010.

While this funding sounded significant, and it was, it would turn out to be spread over five financial years instead of four, with the local Council component being equivalent to $264,000 per year.

This 2010 funding announcement was the turning point, which would change the aging O’Keefe Rail Trail forever.

The Year 2015

Briefly, the five year O’Keefe Rail Trail project has seen the new trail now continuous and open for use as of 15th May this year. The trail connects Heathcote with Axedale and Bendigo, a trail length of approximately 50kms. Many points of interest along the trail are stand out features to trail users, features that may not have been easily accessed before.

Observed use of the trail is increasing; businesses along the trail have experienced early signs of trail user support, even though the trail has not been officially opened nor tourist marketing taking place as yet. A new trail link into the Heathcote’s High Street area is planned to be built in this financial year by Council.

Project Advisory GroupEvery month for the past 5 years, Friends members John Wells, Greg Ralton, Ken Hanson and I have met with Council staff involved with the O’Keefe project as the O’Keefe Trail Advisory Group.

Bringing to the table their trail and cycling knowledge, these members were committed to assisting Council staff to achieve the best possible outcome for the upgrade and extension of this rail trail. Well done to John, Greg and Ken, your efforts have been worthwhile.

PlanningWork by the Friends group’s Planning Action Team and the Mitchell Bicycle Users Group (MBUG) progressed the vision to connect the O’Keefe Rail Trail with a linking trail to Wallan and Heathcote Junction.

With the support of the Mitchell Shire Council, the current State Government through the member for East Bendigo Jacinta Allan MLA, and the Bendigo Council, funding has been pledged for a feasibility study into the ‘Wallan to Heathcote Rail Trail’ proposal. This could result in the next trail development stage if you like!

Tenders for this feasibility study close on 9th October 2015, with the Friends group looking forward as a member of a proposed Working Group to oversee the selected consultant’s investigations.

The Friends group has over the past year instigated a review of the Bendigo Bushland Trail, which is linked to the O’Keefe trail. As a neglected and deteriorating trail, this deserves to be recognised as an important quality asset for the Greater Bendigo area. The City Council has been encouraged to be involved with this trail review, due in part to the complexity of sections of the trail being within a State/Regional Forest.

The extra efforts of the Planning Action Team member’s Lindsay Clay and Les Lewis are to be commended for their efforts.

O’Keefe Rail Trail Friends Projects The past year has seen much activity driven by the Friends Project Action Team and its enthusiastic members. Some highlights have been –

Station Name Board ProjectThe Friends ‘Station Name Board’ project, highlighting former railway station sites, nears completion, as it waited for new sections of the O’Keefe trail to be completed. The Derrinal station name board now stands proudly adjacent the trail, along with table-seats and bike racks.

The stored new replica Knowsley sign awaits its installation soon, to highlight the location of what was once an important busy transport hub for the then developing farming area.

‘Whistle Post’ Signs The O’Keefe Rail Trail stage #2 extension in 1999 put in place those iconic rail trail ‘Whistle Post’ signs along the then 19kms of the trail, at 20 road crossings. Most of those signs have remained, and were repainted in 2014 by the Friends members.

A current Friends project, supported by the Council, is to replace missing or damaged ‘Whistle Post’ signs between the Bendigo Creek and Axedale. The timber work for the ten (10) new sign posts have been made, and are currently being painted. Thanks go to member Ken Hanson for his input into this project so far, as well as the Bendigo RSL Men’s Shed for their assistance with timber machining.

Outdoor FurnitureA number of new outdoor furniture items and bike racks have been or are soon to be installed along the O’Keefe trail by the Friends group with the support and generous donations from particular community groups, companies plus local government.

The Y Service Club of Bendigo, CVGT Australia, Open Space Infrastructure Australia P/L, Strathfieldsaye and Districts Community Enterprise, Lions Club of Heathcote, and City

of Greater Bendigo are all to be thanked and acknowledged for their direct support over the past year in funding table-seat units at various trail locations.

Mile Marker Posts

Undoubtedly you will have seen at least one of the replica concrete railway marker posts located every mile distance along the older sections of the O’Keefe trail. These have not involved any magic; these have been due to a lot of hard work by mostly one member, Ken Hanson. In the past year, Ken with the assistance of other members has ‘planted’ the remaining marker posts along the new Axedale to Heathcote section of the trail. Have you seen numbers 73 to 100, there are 27 in total!

More trail related projects are in the planning stages, for the approval of Council. The volunteer efforts of the Project Team members, whom I’ll all not single out here, are very much appreciated.

Activities It has been important for members to have a balance between volunteer work and social interaction. The Friends Activities Action Team has planned and coordinated a range of social and community involvement activities in this past year, such as-

Ride for Dad (Longlea) – Sept 2014 Ride2Work information stand at Bendigo – Oct 2014 Axedale Primary School’s Bike Hike - Oct 2014 The Christmas Ride and Lunch – Nov 2014 ‘Super Sunday’ Recreational Count - Nov 2014 Heathcote Community Games - Feb 2015 Jayco Herald Sun Tour marshalling – Feb 2015 ‘Super Tuesday’ Bike Count - Mar 2015 Bendigo International Madison marshalling – Mar 2015 Ride2School with Axedale Primary School students - Mar 2015 Clean Up (O’Keefe Rail Trail) Australia Day 2015 Hobson’s Bay Coastal Trail Ride - Mar 2015 Bendigo Easter Fair Parade - 2015 Wallan Market information stand – May 2015 O’Keefe Rail Trail Ride – Aug 2015 Ride for Dad (Spring Gully) information stand – Sept 2015

More activities and community involvements have been planned for the remainder of 2015, and all members are encouraged to participate where possible. Congratulations for the efforts of the Activities Team, especially to members Jill Russell and Lawrie Edward.

CommunicationsAn important function of the Friends group has been communicating the group’s activities, goals and vision as far and wide as possible. Media releases, radio and TV interviews, web posts - updates, Twitter tweets, Facebook postings, photo shoots all form part this function.

The Communications Action Team is a small number of members involved. My thanks to Janet Brown for her work on Facebook, and Les Lewis for his photography.

ResearchThe Research Action Team has been seeking out history to the former railway, and related community activities.

With interpretive signage planned to be installed along the O’Keefe Rail Trail in the future, it will be important to have sufficient available material for these signs as another element to the popularity of the trail.

A special thank you is made to member Kevin Crockett, for his dedicated and continuing research efforts. Who knows, there could be a future book published based upon this research!

In Conclusion

The year 2015 has been a milestone for both the O’Keefe Rail Trail and the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail, supported by the City of Greater Bendigo Council staff. A special mention is made of Brett Martini and Cameron Allison, who have both been there managing the entire O’Keefe trail project.

This was a joint Local and State government funded project. It is suggested that the outcome is more about a good example of direct cooperative involvement of the community with local government, to achieve a significant outcome.

My thanks go to the executive and members of the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail, for your continuing involvement which is amazing. Your willingness to give freely of your time must be appreciated by all who now use this trail. Volunteering is a wonderful thing to see inaction.

To the Mitchell Shire Council and community, the Friends group looks forward to being involved with the next stage of a major trail development within central Victoria. A positive feasibility study report is needed of course, and then finding a few dollars to construct!

Garry LongPresident