Naysayers will be only too willing to cast their spell on the news the Snowy Monaro Regional Council is looking at the viability of rebuilding the defunct railway line from Queanbeyan to Bombala, with the possibility of continuing the line through to the Port of Eden.
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It is, without doubt, an extremely bold proposal and the logistics of getting a rail line from the High Country to the coast, and its associated price tag, will test the mettle of those behind the idea, as well as the budgeting prowess of those who control the purse strings.
Surely, the scope of the project should not be considered insurmountable – if we can dig tunnels under Sydney Harbour then we can build a rail line down a mountain range. Nor should the cost be deemed prohibitive.
More than half a century ago we built the Snowy Mountains Scheme. Today, all eyes are on the WestConnex and Sydney Metro projects, key infrastructure that aims to connect communities, cut road congestion and create jobs.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if a big rail infrastructure project was secured for regional Australia, especially in our own backyard?
Once upon a time Eden was built on whaling, fishing and timber. Times have changed and now the mass slaughter of whales has been reinvented into a booming whale-watching tourism industry.
Similarly, who would have thought that cruise ships would pull into our port where fishing vessels once frequented?
Who would have dreamed that not one, but two, marinas would be proposed for the town, along with international hotels and the like?
Bega Valley Shire Council recently hosted an innovative and well-attended economic summit, but the ideas and goodwill that was generated during those two days in July must be built on.
Money has been secured for the redevelopment of the Port of Eden and the creation of Canberra International Airport.
Now is the time to ask “what’s next?”, not rest on our laurels for the next decade or so. Why couldn’t Eden become a rail hub?
While not an entirely new idea, the Snowy Monaro Regional Council should be congratulated for putting this bold idea on the table for discussion.
We need to keep an open mind to big ideas and the economic and social benefits they could open up for the future of our town … and the future of our children.