Trail off the rail

By Tania Martin
THE future of a proposed trail from Belgrave to Emerald is under a cloud.
But despite speculation that the Puffing Billy board has rejected the idea of the trail, the project is still under discussion.
The Shire of Yarra Ranges and the State Government funded a feasibility study for the trail in 2005.
It is expected that the trail will stretch from Belgrave to Emerald where it will connect with the Emerald to Cockatoo trail.
Dandenong Ranges Tourism Information Centre manager Michael Axel said it would be disappointing to see the project rejected after so much hard work has gone into it. But Puffing Billy acting chief executive officer John Hoy said the board hasn’t rejected the proposal outright but is currently discussing its viability.
Mr Hoy said the board is concerned about the safety of passengers and trail users if the track is put too close to the train.
But Mr Axel said the idea was never to run the train right down the middle of the rail tracks.
“We wanted the trail to run as close to Puffing Billy as possible but not too close that it wouldn’t be unsafe or it would impinge on Puffing Billy’s historical values,” he said.
“We want to see people get out and ride their bikes as families,” he said.
“I am personally sick and tired of seeing mothers with prams and young children having to walk on the road and risk being hit by a car just so they can go for a walk with the family and the dog.”
Mr Hoy said the board also has concerns about the impact the trail will have on the Puffing Billy scenic corridor.
Mr Axel said he understands that Puffing Billy may have concerns that the trail will detract from the historical value of the railway but that those concerns can be fixed.
“Puffing Billy is very careful about preserving the 1920s-30s train ride experience and are concerned about the trail detracting from that,” he said.
“But we see the trail as being far enough away from the train line that you won’t be able to see it from the train.”
Despite speculation that the project has been rejected, the council says nothing has been decided.
Shire community relations officer Simone Ryan said discussing the project with the Puffing Billy board was part of the consultation process.
“The shire has passed on the Puffing Billy board’s feedback to the consultants preparing the feasibility report,” she said.
“The consultants are currently finalising the report which is expected to be considered by the council later this year.”