What a great meeting in September at Bicentennial Park on the River in Munduberra with a very comfortable crowd and enjoying some great treats from Munduberra Café & Bakery thanks to Cr. Sue Payne NBRC. Some of our members stayed over at the Three Rivers Caravan Park and took advantage of an early morning ride to Munduberra Ski area where Rotary are working toward opening the area in the very near future.
Can I say, it takes a “VILLAGE” to do all that is required to keep working toward opening the soon to be “longest rail trail in Australia!” Our patron cr. Desley O’Grady and the BBIRT Management Team you are amazing in all your efforts.
WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED:
1. Munduberra to Ski Area – cr. Sue Payne has continued working with Rotary in the Munduberra area to finish
off the area with funding provided by TMR. Rotary have had graders and machinery working to finish the surface. Mick Colyer BBIRT worked over several days just prior to our meeting in transporting in the grids and gates to the area and spending some very hot days installing them. Thanks for all your work, Mick and Andrew Breitkopf from Three Rivers Caravan Park. We are looking forward to opening this section soon.
2. Gayndah Section – We have now purchased a mower and trailer to assist the Gayndah crew continue maintenance on the trail. TMR have funded a skip bin to assist in the clean-up of the scout hut so it can go
forward as a shared facility with the Youth Group and BBIRT. Thanks cr. Dael Giddins NBRC and specifically
Richard Anderson for bringing this all together. Can I also welcome BBIRT Mike Goebel back after a long-term unexpected illness that slowed him down just a bit. Great to have you back on-board Mike and we look forward to new developments at Mt Debateable!
3. Barrimoon Section – We have now purchased a 3-Unit Disabled Ablution Block with a composting toilet system which will be delivered to the Barrimoon siding over the coming 6 weeks. We are arranging quotes to lay a
concrete slab, set up the toilet system, place the block and erect a water tank which will be used for handwashing and watering plants only. This will all be funded under the Bradley Wolfe Foundation funding which has been matched by TMR. We hope to have this area completed in the New Year 2024. I would also
like to thank volunteers Steve Alford and Steve Fordham for spending a day welding up and placing a new gate and barricades across the grid at Barrimoon to allow the gate to be open at all times so that cattle from neighbouring property will not enter the section. The structure is completely removeable if required. Great outcome for trail users and neighbours.
WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON:
1. Slab Creek Bridge Restoration Project – our greatest news this month has been the approval by TMR to fund decking and railing the Slab Creek Bridge in Munduberra. This is the first time BBIRT have had approval to undertake a restoration project and we will work hard with our contractor Possco (Munduberra builder) to
ensure the project comes in on time and within budget. There has been a number of material and labour increases in the past 6 months since sourcing the quotes and the amended quote for this additional cost has also been approved. Completion of this project is set for 26 January 2024 Australia Day!
2. Funding applications – BBIRT Jill Hopson and I attended a funding workshop conducted by Glenn Butcher in
association with Not-for-Profit House in Gladstone. What an informative night and a great networking opportunity. We are now more knowledgeable of the funding bodies in the Gladstone region and beyond and how best we can apply for funding. Thank you, Jill, for your dedication to collecting, collating, writing and being proactive in identifying opportunities to fund us in the future. Our first funding application in the short
term will be to Bendigo Bank to assist us fund signage and safety barricades to finish off the Bradley Wolfe Project at Barrimoon. Here is to a successful outcome.
3. Signage & Barricades – as in our plans from last meeting, we are in desperate need of signage and some
barricading across all sections of the trail to ensure commuters are familiar in their surroundings and feel safe. It will also value-add to the experience of the trail with story-board signage educating users of history and
environmental facts and also main road signage to direct commuters to our TOURIST ATTRACTION/HIKING
TRAIL. We are discussing the opportunity to fund the later of this signage with TMR.
WHAT WE PLAN TO DO:
1. Kalpower Bridge – as outlined in our previous meeting we will start working toward quoting decking and
railing the Kalpower bridge after kicking off work on the Slab Creek Project. This will give us adequate time to
quote for the next funding period with TMR. Our treasurer Graeme Frankham has done a great job pulling
together our financial reporting to track expenditure on projects ensuring we keep within budget. Thank you.
2. Summer is Here – let us thank BBIRT John Slater for his work to date in maintaining the trees at Golembil and
Builyan sidings. He has noted with the dry period we are entering that hares are destroying pines looking for
food and that the watering is becoming more frequent. We need to focus on ensuring the survival of the trees and delay upcoming planting at Nagoorin siding until rain. We will work on providing more assistance in these areas. A water tank might be a resolution at Golimbel to save carting and using personal water resources.
3. Improving communication with our neighbours – we do not want to lose sight on improving communications
with those neighbours in all areas along the trail and start building relationships. We will focus on this for our future development. Including our community groups in all that we do and share the opportunities is what will make this project work.
Enjoying being part of this great achievement so far!
Vicki Mackay
