Vol. 16 No. 46
FREE PUBLICATION
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Art adventures Youngsters, from left, Barney, Johnno and Heidi Baker, Lani Jones and Amber and Dusty Schellens show off colourful ‘decompression chamber’ masks in preparation for Horsham’s Art is...Layers in Time festival starting on Friday. The masks, created by Dimboola Primary School students, enable children to be ‘taken to a different and mysterious place’ at the festival’s Museum of Land’s Past. The festival runs until June 9. Other Art is...stories and pictures, see pages 6, 18 and 19. Picture: NATASHA PIETSCH
Rail study momentum M
By DEAN LAWSON
unicipal leaders across the region have confirmed a financial commitment to a $100,000 feasibility study into developing a standard-gauge rail shuttle passenger service connecting key Wimmera centres with trains in Ararat.
Horsham and Ararat rural cities, Hindmarsh, Yarriambiack, West Wimmera, Northern Grampians Southern Grampians and Glenelg shire councils have all budgeted for a total $32,000 local government contribution and will now seek the balance from the State Government.
IN THIS ISSUE
The cost of standardising rail-line gauges across Australia to allow all trains access to all lines, an issue dating back to Federation, has been a major impediment to developing widespread passenger services. A ‘broad’ gauge passenger line runs directly between Melbourne and Ararat. ‘Standard’ gauge transport and Overland passenger lines run between Melbourne and Adelaide via Geelong and from Ararat to Portland. Rail passengers travelling to destinations west of Ararat must catch a bus or use the time-consuming Overland service.
Horsham Rural City Council chief executive Peter Brown said the investigation would most likely be broken into two stages. The first stage would establish feasibility, key issues and costs of a potential service, and the second would consider it in more depth and how it might operate.
Costs He said the concept might include one or two carriages with a service corresponding with other rail-service scheduling. “The feasibility will include looking at the cost of rolling stock, the cost
of operating stock and what improvements are needed such as signalling, level crossings and stations,” he said. “We know that the standard-gauge line from the SA border to Ararat is in good nick because that’s the line the Overland uses. A key aspect will also be the condition of the track and stations between and Ararat and Portland.” Mr Brown said councils had recognised significant economic and social advantages in developing rail-passenger services. “There’s been a resurgence in the use of rail after a period where there was loss of patronage and a gen-
eral run-down of the rail system. The Wimmera deserves to be part of that resurgence,” he said. Mr Brown said the councils would now discuss the project with the Department of Transport and explore funding through Regional Development Victoria. Horsham Rural City Council, meanwhile, is also seeking matching government funding for $15,000 study into the best ways of develop land adjoining the railway corridor running through Horsham. A Mill Street site that was formerly Horsham’s rail-freight depot is a key target area.
• Big Hill mining vigil • Nhill aviation centre • Ararat ICE forum • Interleague matches
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