Rail trail volunteers burnt out
VOLUNTEERS are burnt out and want South Gippsland Shire Council to take responsibility for the maintenance of the Great Southern Rail Trail.
Trail committee of management treasurer Laurie Martin said the task of maintaining “an unmade 72km road” was too great for volunteers and called on council to take over management by July 1, 2019.
The committee suggested council appoints a rail trail manager, and funds maintenance works from its own budget and grants the committee now receives. The committee would still oversee leasing of Crown land, marketing and administration.
The committee chairperson recently resigned as he could not meet the daily demands on his time while working and the committee secretary is on leave due to work and personal projects.
The previous committee resigned due to its excessive workload and called on council to take over responsibility, Mr Martin told council last Wednesday.
“It is our real concern that further burn out and/or disaffection of committee members will occur and that the overall management regime may decline between now and October 2020 when our term of appointment ends,” he said.
“This would not provide the best launching pad for an extended Great Southern Rail Trail.”
A recommendation before tomorrow’s (Wednesday) council meeting calls for council to accept the request to become the committee of management for the trail from Leongatha to Welshpool once the term of the current volunteer committee expires.
Mr Martin said, “As a committee we would be surprised, and as a ratepayer I would be concerned, if councillors believe a part time committee of volunteers without a civil or roading engineer among them could more efficiently manage the maintenance of what is essentially an unmade 72km road than the professionals currently employed and contracted by council to manage the shire’s 790-plus kilometres of sealed roads and 1200-plus kilometres of unsealed roads.”
Mr Martin said while the rail trail is “undoubtedly a major economic and social asset for South Gippsland with immense potential”, such potential cannot be achieved solely under volunteer management, given the extensive maintenance, capital works and infrastructure require the skills and experience of council staff.
“The current, volunteer committee largely comprises people who work for a living. Their first priority is their family. Their second priority is their paid job,” Mr Martin said.
“We cannot expect all of them to stay on the committee nor can we expect them to be available at the drop of a hat to do committee work.”
Mr Martin said the committee has supported council’s proposal to extend the rail trail to Korumburra and beyond, but said “a sound and sustainable management system” was needed before the trail was extended.
When the new committee started in November last year, Mr Martin said there was no formal maintenance plan, no defined policies and no marketing plan.
The new committee has since developed a business plan to guide the management and maintenance of the trail over the next 18 months.
The plan addresses maintenance and asset management, leasing, marketing, communications, networks and activities, and governance and future planning.
Mr Martin said leasing the trail could generate income and effective marketing would help raise awareness and contribute to local economies. The committee hopes to have at least three occasions a year where it supports a local event along the trail.
“A recent example was the bicycle parking station we provided at the Meeniyan Garlic Festival,” Mr Martin said.
The current committee would step down in October 2020 to be replaced by a Section 86 or similar style of committee to work with South Gippsland Shire Council, and potentially Wellington and Cardinia shires, to manage the trail.
Cr Ray Argento praised the committee for its work, saying, “You’re a bunch of dedicated people who only the best for our region.”
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