Employment and jobs

The Northern Rivers needs a substantial growth in new business. An RDA Committee Northern Rivers report indicated that we have to create 59,250 new jobs by 2027 (RIEP 2009 Page 30) of which 16,000 need to be “export jobs”, i.e. income from outside of the region, just to remain stable.

In reality without new business development this is unlikely to happen and the region will go backwards in employment and prosperity. All the things we live here for, environment, community, safety, health, and similar depend in different ways on us having jobs and income to the region.

Government reports show that the growth industries in the Northern Rivers are virtually all paid for by Government: Education, Health and Services. We need innovation that will support new entrepreneurial activities. It needs to be genuinely commercial to bring in real dollars to create sustainable jobs. As such a little support from Government can have a substantial multiplying effect.

 Impact of the rail trail

The impact of the rail trail will be both to help existing and encourage new businesses. Seasonal and casual employment will increase as well as new business ownership. The benefit of a rail trail is that businesses develop as popularity increases, thus reducing risk. It does not all have to be there at the start.

We anticipate as a first analysis that between 800 to 1200 jobs could be eventually created.

We have a large group of business mentors available (60+) who can also assist new ventures.

Key impacts include:

Existing Businesses gain from the Rail Trail:

Example: There are approximately 200 traditional tourism businesses (i.e. not tangential tourism business such as pharmacies and service stations) in Bangalow, Byron and Mullumbimby alone. There exist 20 or so food, accommodation and attraction businesses along or close to the Bangalow to Mullumbimby route that are not in villages. All these businesses stand to gain immediately from the rail trail depending on where it starts.

Accommodation Businesses:

Accommodation and also services such as rail trail tours – where they take your luggage between accommodations, will benefit and grow. Some accommodation will expand into café and al fresco spots for a drink as walkers and cyclists relax in the late afternoon for example.

Example: In some rail trail areas the average stay has increased from 2 days to 4 or 5 days. Also it is anticipated that the average spend of the users of rail trails who join a tour is considerably more than the current average of the area, possibly two to four times higher. While these figures are anecdotal they are based on considerable knowledge of this area and other rail trails. They serve to provide a guide as to what research will be needed

New Services:

Bike tour operators Walk tour operators Rail memorabilia outlets such as museum, gifts, etc Cycle services such as bike sales, rentals, repairs and gear

Examples: Conducted tours (1 to 3 days – where a guide travels with the group to articulate and interpret the experience) Escorted tours (2 to 6 days – where a company rents the bikes and gear and transports the group’s luggage from accommodation to accommodation)

A range of flow on business development occurs such as:

Printed guides and interpretative brochures and maps;  An App for use on various digital devices to guide tourists;  An App for experiences along the route including the history, views, ecological, cultural and landscapes;  QRs for key points of interest; Web portal Interpretative and directional signage. Along the route food outlets (cafes, restaurants, markets, food producers – e.g. cheese maker), accommodation (B&B, farm stay, guest lodges, rural cabins, pubs, motels, luxury tents and camping grounds) could be sign posted and supported with digital collateral

Business Networks and Conceptual links; Heritage places and history; Local food outlets, cafes, markets and growers Industries such as food, agriculture, timber and rail itself; meet a farmer; Wellbeing, alternative health, spiritual health experiences; Music and the arts; Biodiversity and other aspects of the natural estate

As this all develops we plan to use this in the “brand positioning” of the region to appeal to Australia wide and global potential visitors.

The potential for this to impact unemployment and jobs in the region is huge.

Northern Rivers has so many positive elements to it in regards to being a leading tourism destination. It has great access by air being serviced immediately by the Gold Coast International airport and the domestic airports of Lismore and Ballina/Byron, whilst the Brisbane international airport is only 1.5 to 2 hours from our doorstep.  It has great access by road, particularly the Pacific Highway which has opened up the North of the state and is continually being improved to the south.

It is home to significant destinations such as the “Green Cauldron” one of the Tourism Australia’s National Landscapes,  “Byron Bay” the 2^nd largest international destination in NSW, world renowned coastal surfing beaches, sub tropical hinterland. Our events range from world class music festivals and agricultural expos, to some of the best community events in the country.

What is lacking for the Northern Rivers is tourism product. Product is something that our visitors can be involved in, something they can do, experience and enjoy, keeping them entertained in our destination. The Rail Trail from Casino to Murwillumbah will provide a world class product for our destination. It will provide a connector between our shires, our villages and our towns. It will provide access to do such things as walk, run, cycle, hike, camp, eat, explore overnight in one of the most climate friendly, sub-tropical, scenic locations in Australia.  Rail Trails are being developed around the world and tourists are searching them out as a healthy experiential alternate, these are the types of tourists that we want to attract to our destination, and we can offer a Rail Trail like no other.

In many places in the world today, lack of regular physical activity is a primary cause of health problems. Some of these include heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and osteoporotic falls resulting in fractures.

• Walking and cycling burns calories and can help with weight loss.
• Exercise can help prevent heart disease by reducing cholesterol levels and specifically increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol that keeps artery walls clear.
• Regular exercise can help to decrease high blood pressure by an average of 10 points.
• Exercise can help prevent Type 2 Diabetes and help to control Type I Diabetes.  A combination of regular exercise, weight loss and change of diet can actually reverse the course of Type 2 Diabetes.
• Weight bearing exercise such as hiking and jogging can help to prevent osteoporosis by increasing bone density and slow calcium loss.
• Longevity across genders and age groups is improved by physical activity.

Even though we know exercise has enormous health benefits, many people have fewer opportunities to get out and exercise in their communities. There is a lack of places to cycle and walk – particularly in the towns that don’t have the luxury of a beach or walking tracks nearby. A rail trail winding it’s way through beautiful countryside and many towns will encourage people to get out and enjoy their environment in a healthy way.

Trails can create healthy transportation opportunities by providing people of all ages with attractive, safe, accessible places to bike, walk, jog or skate.  They make it easier for people to build activity into their daily routine – such as riding to school or work and walking to the shops. Pregnant women can walk safely without the pollution of motor vehicles and can later walk their babies in strollers along with their friends – reducing the risk of post-natal depression.

Our Northern Rivers Rail Trail has the potential to create an overall healthier community!

It is home to significant destinations such as the “Green Cauldron” one of the Tourism Australia’s National Landscapes,  “Byron Bay” the 2^nd largest international destination in NSW, world renowned coastal surfing beaches, sub tropical hinterland. Our events range from world class music festivals and agricultural expos, to some of the best community events in the country.

What is lacking for the Northern Rivers is tourism product. Product is something that our visitors can be involved in, something they can do, experience and enjoy, keeping them entertained in our destination. The Rail Trail from Casino to Murwillumbah will provide a world class product for our destination. It will provide a connector between our shires, our villages and our towns. It will provide access to do such things as walk, run, cycle, hike, camp, eat, explore overnight in one of the most climate friendly, sub-tropical, scenic locations in Australia.  Rail Trails are being developed around the world and tourists are searching them out as a healthy experiential alternate, these are the types of tourists that we want to attract to our destination, and we can offer a Rail Trail like no other.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail could operate as a shared outdoor education campus.  Primary, Secondary and Tertiary content could be developed for delivery and assessment within the facility and in doing so the education system could contribute to and benefit from the development and management of the rail trail.  Workplace Training and Internships could be part of the culture of volunteerism that will be essential for the success of the project.

Roofed outdoor classrooms could double as shade huts and rainwater collection points.  There would be opportunities for innovative intervention strategies for children who have fallen through the cracks of the mainstream education system and other vulnerable groups such as youth at risk and young offenders.

Subject areas could include, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Indigenous Tourism, Indigenous Studies, Business Management, Engineering, Horticulture, Environmental Science, Graphic Design, Advertising and Marketing (to name a few) as well as many of the traditional Trades.

The Northern Rivers Rail Trail will provide habitat and a wildlife corridor that reconnects an assortment of forest remnants. The trail will be able to deliver interpretative displays of most of the types of ecosystems to be found in the region and will be able to showcase the biodiversity for which the Northern Rivers is famous.  With long sweeping vistas in both directions, spotting animals or watching for birds will be one of the signature experiences for trail users.  Iconic Australian wildlife including Koalas and Wallabies (in the wild) will be a key tourism drawcard.

The railway corridor contains historic treasures like bridges, tunnels and station buildings.  This infrastructure features strongly in our cultural heritage and is testament to the 19^th century timbers and the hard work of our ancestors. The wooden bridges in particular contain some of our last tangible connections to the Big Scrub.  The Rail Trail development will arrest the decline of the infrastructure and put it back to work so it can continue to serve the community long into the future.

Former railway yards in village heartlands throughout the region could become valuable and beautiful public spaces as parks and gardens or for exhibitions, performances and markets.  The station buildings themselves have captured the imagination of many commentators with suggestions ranging from cafés and kiosks to galleries and museums as well as reception centres with equipment hire and bunkhouses.  Innovation and imagination will be the key to making the best use of the infrastructure.