Shire’s hand up for trail

By Melissa Donchi
THE Shire of Yarra Ranges has officially lodged a formal submission with the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) to manage the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail, putting an end to months of speculation.
The application follows a meeting between shire chief executive Rob Hauser and DSE group manager of public land management Wayne Malone to discuss the long-term management of the popular rail trail, of which the shire currently maintains half.
“As a result of the meeting, the shire has formally expressed an interest in taking on the overall responsibility for the management of the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail,” Mr Hauser said.
The move is sure to embitter the outgoing committee, which believes the shire had intentions to manage the trail since July last year and was responsible for the termination of members’ tenure.
The shire has repeatedly denied this, despite documentation from Gembrook MP Tammy Lobato and then Planning Minister Rob Hulls that suggested otherwise.
A letter written by Ms Lobato in July 2006 to Mr Hulls makes the shire’s intentions clear.
“Given the current status of the Rail Trail Committee which expired in January 2006 and the Shire of Yarra Ranges wish to become the Committee of Management, I request that no decisions be made until a new committee of management has been appointed,” she said.
The status of the committee remained uncertain for some time, prompting then Evelyn MP Heather McTaggart to write to Mr Hulls and ask him to confirm committee members’ positions.
In October 2006 Mr Hulls replied that while he was aware of their “hard work and commitment” he would only reappoint them as an interim committee as he had been “considering an approach from the Shire of Yarra Ranges to become the appointed committee of management”.
The shire expects to find out the results of its submission in the coming weeks.
Shire CEO Rob Hauser acknowledged the “excellent work” of the current committee but said it made more sense for the shire to be managing the trail.
“Given our involvement with the rail trail and the shire’s extensive experience in developing and maintaining a number of other high-profile walking and cycling tracks, it makes sense that the shire should take over the overall management of the trail,” he said.
The committee disagrees, and is urging Planning Minister Justin Madden to instead consider Parks Victoria to manage the trail.
“The shire’s submission is long on rhetoric, short on vision and gives a no staffing and funding commitment,” committee president David De Gama said.
“It is not a criticism of the shire, but a fact that they have no experience and do not have the resources or the vision to manage a 185-hectare linear park of state and national tourism significance.”