New England Rail Trail

Proposed New England Rail Trail consultation results

Thank you to everyone who took part in the proposed New England Rail Trail consultation.

All formal submissions have now been counted and categorised as:

✅ Supportive
✅ Unsupportive

They have also been grouped by location:

📍 Within the Local Government Area (LGA)
📍 Outside the LGA
📍 Address Unknown

To ensure transparency, all redacted formal submissions received via email, mail and over the counter are now available for public review in the Submissions and Feedback folder on this page.

In addition, community feedback gathered through:

🗣️ Pop-up consultation sessions
📞 Phone conversations
💬 The forum discussions on the Your Say Proposed New England Rail Trail page during the consultation period is also available to view.

NOTE:

Due to the large volume of responses and data processed, reported results are subject to a variance of up to ±5% to account for factors such as human error, data entry inconsistencies, differing interpretations of responses, and other minor processing variances. This allowance does not materially affect the overall findings or trends presented in the results.

The submission period is now closed.

Armidale Regional Council is undertaking consultation and preliminary investigations for the proposed New England Rail Trail between Armidale Train Station and Ben Lomond Train Station.

The purpose of this phase of the project is to meet the requirements of the NSW Rail Trails Framework, ensuring early and meaningful community engagement, transparent communication, and clearly documented feedback. Council will work with communities along the corridor to explain the proposal, outline potential impacts and benefits, and clarify how decisions will be made.

This engagement aims to identify and address issues raised by landholders, culture and heritage groups, transport advocates, local businesses, and the broader community, while building social licence through responsiveness, evidence‑based planning, and openness. The work will also support statutory processes, including environmental, heritage and cultural assessments, and corridor access requirements.

Community input during this stage will play an important role in shaping how the project progresses.

Background and important context

The New England Rail Trail is a long‑standing proposal to repurpose sections of the disused Great Northern Rail Line into a shared recreational walking and cycling trail. First conceived nearly two decades ago, the project seeks to support regional tourism, protect rail heritage, and create new opportunities for active transport and outdoor recreation.

The full proposed rail trail would extend approximately 103 kilometres between Armidale and Glen Innes. Armidale Regional Council is responsible for the 67‑kilometre section between Armidale and Ben Lomond, which is the focus of this engagement and investigation work.

The corridor remains in public ownership and offers a unique opportunity to create a safe, off‑road recreational route passing through high‑country landscapes, rural communities and historic townships, including significant rail heritage sites. Similar rail trails across Australia have demonstrated long‑term tourism, economic and community benefits.