Don’t Despair! Northern Rivers Railway is Here!

Many locals have been shocked to see railway tracks being pulled up and trashed near the Lismore Railway Station in recent days.

This is part of a new bike ‘rail trail’ that is proposed by Lismore City Council, to connect up with the Richmond Valley bike path at Bentley.

Word is out that the council’s fnal business plan has not yet been approved and needs to be in by the December Lismore council meeting or it cannot go ahead.

So, the question is, if so, how can this be happening already to our valuable public rail infrastructure? Who has given permission for this?

Northern Rivers Rail Ltd (NRRL) want to bring the trains back. We want to assure locals that interim licenses are currently held on the rest of the track up to Yelgun. A study of the condition of the tracks is almost complete. This will show the true costs of fxing and returning train services to our line.

NRRL has surveyed 1,200 residents and found great support for passenger trains in the Northern Rivers. There is no social license to rip up our tracks. There has never been any community consultation since the late night XPT service was stopped in 2004.

The focus is frst on extending climate friendly train services to Mullumbimby, from where the Byron Bay Solar Train terminates at Bayshore Drive. Then up to Bangalow and up to Billinudgel and Yelgun in the north, and to Eltham, Bexhill and Lismore in the west.

The return of train journeys to our region will mean that those who cannot or don’t want to drive a car, can ride in comfort and safety. By taking many vehicles off the road we will be countering climate change.

Train travel will support many young, elderly, the movement and vision impaired, commuters and tourists to get around our beautiful North Coast.

If you would like to support the return of rail, with a bike path beside the tracks, join us, make a donation or fll in our survey at: northernriversrail.com. au. These donations are now tax deductible, supported by Mullum SEED.

We are excited that rail has a great future in our region.

For a sustainable transport future in the Northern Rivers.

On the 28th of November, in a heartwarming display of community spirit and festive joy, students from Pacifc Coast Christian School and Pacifc Gulgangali Jarjums Christian School visited the Tweed River Care Community, embodying the spirit of giving and friendship this Christmas season. At Pacifc Coast and Pacifc Gulgangali Christian Schools, we frmly believe in serving others in our community, a principle deeply ingrained in our educational philosophy. Our commitment to the SERVE modelencompassing Safety, Effort, Respect, Volunteerism, and Excellence - is more than just a set of values; it’s a way of life that we diligently impart to our students.

The students sang Christmas carols, danced, and exchanged gifts, focusing on the love, joy, and peace of the festive season. They also shared messages about the birth of Jesus Christ and the hope he represents, acknowledging the challenges many face during this time.

As we left, it was heartwarming to see the joy on the faces of everyone involved. The heart of the visit was to bless the residents that day, but the experience was equally enriching for our students and teachers. We look forward come back at Easter next year to continuing our tradition of serving and connecting with our community and living out the values of our SERVE model.