23/08/2026
Friends of Nert were excited to hear from Rebecca Whan at the general meeting on the 13th August.
Rebecca's insight into how we can prepare for a rail trail in our area, based on the real life experience she has witnessed in her community of Murwillumbah.
Here is the summary of the information shared with those present.
General Meeting FofNERT 13 August 2026
Chairman Greg Wild introduced Rebecca Whan, President of Business Murwillumbah, the guest speaker at the Friends of the New England Rail Trail AGM on 13 August 2026. Rebecca spoke about the development and experience of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail and the significant impact it has had on tourism, local businesses and the communities along the route.
Rebecca has been President of Business Murwillumbah for six years. Having previously spent 30 years in Newcastle advocating for the retention of heavy rail, she said she was not interested in a “rail versus trail” argument. Her primary concern is the future prosperity of regional communities and bringing young people, families, enterprises and new life back to smaller towns.
The Background to the Northern Rivers Rail Trail
The passenger rail service between Casino and Murwillumbah ceased in 2004. At around the same time, the construction of the M1 motorway bypassed Murwillumbah and a number of smaller communities that had previously benefited from traffic travelling along the Pacific Highway. This contributed to a decline in business activity and confidence in those towns.
The proposal to repurpose the disused railway corridor as a rail trail therefore emerged at a difficult time. Rebecca explained that the project initially faced considerable opposition and uncertainty. Concerns included biosecurity, privacy, trespassing, vandalism and theft, as well as the possibility that the railway might eventually be required again. There was also a widespread belief that very few people would use the trail and that cyclists would not provide significant economic benefit to local businesses.
The project itself experienced further challenges, including floods, bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. The Northern Rivers region was already struggling when further flooding occurred in 2022, just as businesses were being encouraged to prepare for the opening of the Rail Trail.
Despite these difficulties, the 24-kilometre Murwillumbah to Crabbes Creek section opened in March 2023.
Visitor numbers exceeded expectations and the results following opening were considerably better than anticipated.
The original business case forecasted approximately 34,000 users in the first year. The actual number exceeded 145,000. Visitor numbers have subsequently stabilised at approximately 120,000 users per year, or more than 9,000 visitors per month.
Rebecca emphasised that the trail has attracted a much broader range of users than the “Lycra-clad cyclists” sometimes envisaged by opponents. It is used by children, parents, families, grandparents, older people, walkers and people with varying levels of mobility. She described it as a genuine example of low-impact, high-value tourism.
The additional information Rebecca provided also showed the significant economic benefit generated by the trail. In its first year, the Tweed section generated approximately $3.717 million in additional visitor expenditure. Around 80% of visitors used a paid trail-related service, including cafés, restaurants, bike hire and shuttle services. Unique visitors from outside the area increased by approximately 23%, while visitor expenditure was around 52% higher than originally forecast.
Over the projected 30-year life of the trail, visitor expenditure has been estimated at approximately $114.3 million.
Concerns about the trail did not eventuate
Rebecca said that many of the objections raised before the opening of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail were very similar to those now being raised in relation to the New England Rail Trail.
These included concerns about biosecurity, privacy, trespassing, vandalism, theft and disruption to adjoining properties. There was also the belief that nobody would use the trail and that cyclists would not spend money in local communities. The experience since opening has been markedly different. Small communities along the route have been revitalised, visitor numbers have greatly exceeded expectations and businesses that were initially reluctant to prepare for the trail are now struggling to keep up with the additional patronage. Rebecca noted that Business Murwillumbah had encouraged businesses to open on Sundays and remain open later on Saturdays, but many had not initially responded because they were uncertain about the likely demand.
There was an isolated incident shortly after opening when large numbers of thumbtacks were deliberately spread over the trail, causing punctures to bicycles. Rebecca said the incident generated considerable local disgust and negative publicity and ceased within a couple of weeks.
The council also played an important role by providing clear signage explaining how people should use and behave on the trail. Council adopted a pragmatic approach to additional infrastructure, responding to demonstrated demand rather than building large amounts of infrastructure before it was required.
Adjoining Landholders
An issue of relevance to the New England Rail Trail was the experience of landholders adjoining the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
The 24-kilometre Tweed section runs alongside approximately 77 separate private land parcels. Landholders initially had genuine concerns about trespassing, noise, privacy, anti-social behaviour and general disruption. Rebecca reported that, after opening, these concerns had largely not materialised. Users generally remain on the trail, noise has been minimal, night-time use is virtually non-existent and there has been little of the anticipated disruption.
Importantly, consultation with landholders during the planning process allowed practical concerns to be addressed through changes to the trail design. One adjoining landholder subsequently commented that living beside an operating rail trail had been far less intrusive than originally anticipated.
This experience demonstrates the importance of genuine consultation with adjoining landowners during the planning and design stages of the New England Rail Trail.
Economic benefit extends beyond the trail itself
Rebecca explained that the economic impact of a rail trail does not stop with businesses immediately beside the trail. The additional visitors can benefit a much wider tourism and cultural economy.
One example was the Tweed Regional Gallery, where the visitor's economic contribution increased by 62%, from $12.3 million to $19.8 million per year. Eight per cent of visitors to the Gallery now identify the Rail Trail as part of their visit.
Former railway stations and railheads have also been given new life as cafés, bike-hire facilities, visitor information centres and community gathering places.
Rebecca's message was that the trail creates the opportunity, but communities and businesses must be prepared to take advantage of it.
Rebecca tabled a Rail Trail Blueprint which identified important lessons for businesses and communities.
The first was to prepare before the trail opens. Businesses that adapt their premises, signage and services early are better positioned to take advantage of the new market.
The second was to provide simple services for trail users. Opportunities can include bike racks, takeaway food, water, bike hire, picnic hampers and convenient places to stop.
The third was to work together regionally. The greatest economic benefit is achieved when accommodation providers, cafés, restaurants, transport operators, bike-hire businesses and other tourism operators work together to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more in the region.
Rebecca stressed that the Northern Rivers experience showed that businesses which had not prepared early were now playing catch-up.
Plan for a broad range of users
Rebecca strongly encouraged the New England Rail Trail to be designed for people rather than simply for cyclists. She recommended that accessibility be considered from the beginning, including for families, older people and people with limited mobility. She advocated a minimum trail width of approximately three metres wherever possible, allowing walkers, cyclists and mobility users to comfortably share the trail.
She also suggested that planning should carefully consider access points, parking, water and other facilities. In Northern Rivers, formal parking areas and water points were established at identified entry and exit points, while road crossings also provided opportunities for access. Rebecca noted that there had been significant consultation between Council, the construction company and the community regarding these arrangements.
The role of old Railway Stations
Rebecca saw considerable potential in giving the former railway stations a new purpose.
In Northern Rivers, former railway facilities have become cafés, bike-hire locations, gathering places and community hubs rather than remaining unused railway relics. She suggested that New England could similarly use its railway heritage to create places where visitors stop, spend money and engage with local communities.
Message to NERT
Rebecca's message to Friends of NERT was that preparation should begin well before the trail opens.
She encouraged FoNERT to continue working closely with Council, landowners, local businesses and the Business Chamber. In particular, she recommended establishing relationships with the local Business Chamber now rather than waiting until the trail is approved and under construction.
She also emphasised that landowners need to be heard throughout the planning process. Maintaining goodwill with adjoining landholders is important and, in the Northern Rivers experience, practical consultation helped resolve concerns before they became problems.
Rebecca subsequently reinforced these points in a message to the FoNERT Board, stating that the project was about the future of the towns and villages rather than simply about creating a recreational trail. She described a rail trail as an investment in the livelihood of regional communities.
A wider vision
Rebecca explained that the Northern Rivers Rail Trail began as something of a leap of faith. Once the Tweed section opened and demonstrated that the concept worked, other communities and councils became interested in joining the network.
What began as a single section has developed into a much broader vision for a Northern Rivers Rail Trail network, with the Casino–Lismore section also progressing and Byron Shire seeking to join the network.
For the New England, Rebecca's message was that the trail should be regarded as an economic development project, not simply a recreational facility. The Northern Rivers experience demonstrates that a rail trail can bring visitors, spending, enterprise, confidence and new opportunities to towns and villages that have experienced long-term economic challenges.
Conclusion
Rebecca concluded by encouraging Friends of NERT to keep working with Council, businesses, landowners and the wider community to progress the project.
She said she did not know where the Northern Rivers region would be today had it not been for the Rail Trail and urged Friends of NERT to continue its efforts to progress the New England project.
Rebecca's final message was particularly pertinent to the New England:
“The way forward is rail trails – once you're on the other side of it, you won't look back.”
Rebecca then answered questions from the floor, including questions relating to access and parking, the width and design of the trail, landholder concerns, infrastructure and the experience of the Northern Rivers Rail Trail.
Her presentation provided FoNERT members with a valuable first-hand account of what can happen when a disused railway corridor is transformed into a tourism and community asset. The Northern Rivers experience suggests that the greatest opportunity for the New England will come not simply from building the trail, but from preparing businesses, involving landholders and communities, promoting the region and working together to maximise the economic and social benefits once the trail is open.
