Thanks to the Ubobo community for hosting our Remembrance Day meeting in November. Lest we forget. Thanks also to our Vice President Mick Colyer and Secretary Mark McLachlan for coordinating the meeting. This report includes updates prior to and since the last meeting.
WHAT HAVE WE ACHIEVED:
1. Bicycle Queensland/BBIRT Timeless Tunnels Event – Exciting news this month!! Bicycle Qld have partnered
with BBIRT and the dates are set for an EPIC 4-day Adventure Ride on the tunnels section of the trail 3-6th May 2024 with camping at Golembil in the beautiful Boyne Valley. Visit Bicycle Qld website to purchase tickets or find out more: BOYNE BURNETT INLAND RAIL TRAIL WEEKEND – Bicycle Queensland (bq.org.au).
Thanks to our patron cr. Desley O’Grady for your passion to seeing this eventuate. Arrangements are
continuing. We have also been successful in receiving a $5k grant from Yaralla Sports Club in Gladstone to support the Bicycle Qld event in May next year. We are hoping a few more organisations might support us to see this showcase in the Boyne Valley be a success.
2. Bicycle Queensland – Desley also attended Bicycle Queensland’s (BQ) End of Year function, meeting up with
cycling enthusiasts, ministers, councillors and the exceptional team from BQ. She had the opportunity to thank Mark Bailey MP for the funding we have received to date and talk about rail trails, bikes on trains and other cycling matters. You can view some of these speeches of the night on Bicycle Qld’s Website and Facebook page. Bicycle Queensland are dedicated to cycling tourism by lobbying for ongoing investment and commitment to build out and promote a connected, state-wide Rail Trail Network and developing BQ’s Queensland’s Bike Friendly Town brand. Why not become a member! The more voices they can count, the stronger they are when speaking up. Join Bicycle Queensland – Bicycle Queensland (bq.org.au).
3. Nagoorin Tree Planting Project – Thank you to the Rotary Club of Gladstone Midday for funding and
coordinating a tree planting project over the past 18 months. It all come together last weekend with over 20
amazing volunteers doing over 100 volunteer hours to plant 60 trees at the Nagoorin siding and protect them with barriers. The local community got in and assisted and will go forward watering these trees. What a fabulous spot to rest this will be for the future of our trail. We will be purchasing a pump to make the hand-watering a little easier. The Nagoorin Hall committee put together a great lunch afterwards.
WHAT WE ARE WORKING ON:
1. Barrimoon Siding Accessibility Section – We have been successful in receiving a $20k grant (ex. GST) from QRIDA Boosting Accessible Tourism Experiences Grant which will be used to complete the accessibility section of the trail at Barrimoon Tunnels; initially funded by the Bradley Wolfe Foundation with a matching contribution by Dept of Transport. The funding will assist us construct the slab and supply water to the disability composting toilet block we have already purchased. It will also assist pay for transportation and placement of the toilet block from Monto. Thanks to secretary Mark McLachlan for applying for this funding.
We have also submitted our funding application to Bendigo Bank to assist fund signage and safety barricades
to finish off the Bradley Wolfe Project at Barrimoon. Thanks to Jill Hopson for your dedication in bringing
this all together. We look forward to opening this section early 2024.
2. Slab Creek Bridge Restoration Project – We have now initiated work on restoration of the Slab Creek Bridge. Mick Colyer Vice President will be overseeing this project with our contractor. DTMR have paid us the funds and we are working closely with our contractor Mark Postle to have these works underway over the Xmas Period. He has ordered materials and arranged labour to commence over the coming month. Completion of this project is set for 26 January 2024 Australia Day!
3. 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. We will assist with signage for the area in the meantime and
look forward to opening this section in January 2024.
WHAT WE PLAN TO DO:
1. Kalpower Bridge – We will start working toward quoting to deck and rail the Kalpower bridge after kicking off work on the Slab Creek Project; hopefully with some of the learnings and successes.
2. Fire Policy – with the need for some trail neighbours wanting to “burn-off” land encroaching the trail, we
will actively communicate our fire management policy with all Fire Wardens along the trail. FIRST POINT OF
CALL for neighbours is to arrange a permit with your fire warden they will understand our policy. We are privileged to have Frank McKee as a valued member of our management committee; a fire warden in the Boyne Valley. He can contribute years of experience in managing effective burns. We want to build relationships with property owners and fire wardens along the trail to ensure we work together for a
suitable outcome for all involved. BBIRT supports hazard reduction burns but we also care about the assets
we own on the trail ie bridges & infrastructure, the wildlife and plant life and our user’s safety.
3. Improving communication – Mark McLachlan has been working on merging our data to a new updated website. This will give us the opportunity to publish upcoming events and news stories on a more regular
basis and take memberships and sales more effectively.
Here is to a wonderful Xmas and New Year with family and friends to all our Rail Trail Supporters! Note, we do not
hold meetings in January but will be back on board in February 2024 with some more great news.
Vicki Mackay
