Somerset Regional Council is making an application to the $297.7 million Building Better Regions Fund for the additional $1 million+ required to complete the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
They need letters of support from the BVRT business and user community to help get the funding application over the line.
To be competitive the application must score highly against all of the criteria, including economic and social benefits, value for money and ability to deliver the project.
If you’re a business owner who benefits from Brisbane Valley Rail Trail tourism or a user who enjoys the recreational, fitness and social benefits, it would be great if you could write a letter to Somerset Regional Council supporting the application and outlining the ways in which you benefit from the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail.
Please send correspondence marked for the attention of Geoffrey Smith by email to mail@somerset.qld.gov.au
or by fax to 07 5424 4099 or by post to
Somerset Regional Council
PO Box 117
Esk Qld 4312
More info:
It’s been almost 2½ years since we first started the campaign to get the Brisbane Valley Rail Trail completed. In that time, we’ve made a lot of progress. The Queensland Government has come on board with $1.8 million to complete the unfinished sections, We’ve raised awareness of this great recreational asset really close to Brisbane and surrounding region. We’ve seen a massive increase in user traffic. Ipswich to Wanora has recently been officially opened and there have been significant improvements to other sections.
Toogoolawah to Moore (30 km) remains as the only unfinished section, but with the number of creek and road crossings it’s also the most challenging…and in civil construction terms, challenging means more expensive.
Despite the generous offer by the Queensland Government of $1.8 million, the work has been costed as closer to $3.1 million if the work is to be done to a robust standard that will benefit all users without incurring heavy maintenance costs.
Somerset Regional Council is fully committed to completing the project and will be making an application to the Building Better Regions Fund.
The Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) provides funding for infrastructure and community investment projects that will create jobs, drive economic growth and build stronger regional communities into the future. Applications for the Infrastructure Projects Stream open on 18 January 2017 and close on 28 February 2017.
Somerset Regional Council needs letters of support from the BVRT business and user community to help get the funding application over the line.
Please send correspondence marked for the attention of Geoffrey Smith by email to mail@somerset.qld.gov.au or by fax to 07 5424 4099 or by post to
Somerset Regional Council
PO Box 117
Esk Qld 4310
