- Published on
By Peter Cliff
I WONDER if the people of Bass Coast ever look at the remnants of their rail line and imagine what a wonderful thing it would be if it were brought to life again. After all, the people own the alignment and it didn’t take long to make in the first place. Ten weeks only to construct the Nyora to Wonthaggi component, using horses and hand labour.
Victoria’s visionaries of the early 1900s knew that extending the rail service to all corners of the state would enable towns to prosper. From about 1950, however, the value of a rail service was forgotten and replaced by the new obsession: building roads and cars.
I WONDER if the people of Bass Coast ever look at the remnants of their rail line and imagine what a wonderful thing it would be if it were brought to life again. After all, the people own the alignment and it didn’t take long to make in the first place. Ten weeks only to construct the Nyora to Wonthaggi component, using horses and hand labour.
Victoria’s visionaries of the early 1900s knew that extending the rail service to all corners of the state would enable towns to prosper. From about 1950, however, the value of a rail service was forgotten and replaced by the new obsession: building roads and cars.
The wheel has turned; there is renewed recognition that a rail service can revitalise regional towns and improve their amenity. The attraction of cheaper land and stable populations attracts light industry and employment, helps to retain young people, decentralises education, increases tourism and, of course, provides access to the city in little more than an hour.
The restoration of rail service to Wonthaggi would provide a link, with the afore-mentioned advantages to the intermediate towns of Clyde, Tooradin, Koo Wee Rup, Nyora, Almurta and Woolamai. Ditto for a line through Loch and Korumburra to Leongatha.
The issue is timely because Casey City Council wants the Cranbourne line extended to Clyde.
Historically rural regions have always received less toward amenity than is enjoyed by residents in the suburbs. I believe reinstatement of a rail service to Bass Coast is a prerequisite for the region to develop into a mature and balanced economy. In principal, provide the appropriate infrastructure and the rest will follow in time.
For evidence, you just need to compare the sister towns within an approximately 100km radius of Melbourne. Towns such as Geelong, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Seymour and Warragul, which all have a direct rail link to the city, are all deservedly enjoying the new move to decentralization, while Bass Coast and South Gippsland are lagging.
I understand a rail service will not run for profit. It must be seen as a service in the same sense as roads, light poles and policing. The upside is that the community benefits enormously and generates increased income that is taxed.
The restoration of rail service to Wonthaggi would provide a link, with the afore-mentioned advantages to the intermediate towns of Clyde, Tooradin, Koo Wee Rup, Nyora, Almurta and Woolamai. Ditto for a line through Loch and Korumburra to Leongatha.
The issue is timely because Casey City Council wants the Cranbourne line extended to Clyde.
Historically rural regions have always received less toward amenity than is enjoyed by residents in the suburbs. I believe reinstatement of a rail service to Bass Coast is a prerequisite for the region to develop into a mature and balanced economy. In principal, provide the appropriate infrastructure and the rest will follow in time.
For evidence, you just need to compare the sister towns within an approximately 100km radius of Melbourne. Towns such as Geelong, Ballarat, Castlemaine, Seymour and Warragul, which all have a direct rail link to the city, are all deservedly enjoying the new move to decentralization, while Bass Coast and South Gippsland are lagging.
I understand a rail service will not run for profit. It must be seen as a service in the same sense as roads, light poles and policing. The upside is that the community benefits enormously and generates increased income that is taxed.
The original railway line between Nyora and Wonthaggi in 1910 was built by hand in 10 weeks. The last train ran on December 4 1977.
The population of Wonthaggi fell when the State coalmine closed in 1968 and again when the train service ceased. Blows of this magnitude are hard to overcome. Despite this, the population has risen slowly but unemployment is high and young people have to leave for education and employment opportunities.
The Gippsland Regional Growth Plan (May 2014) forecasts a profound change to the demography of the region. In 1996 people aged over 65 formed 12 per cent of the population; by 2041 they are expected to make up 30 per cent, which has major implications for health, social and cultural services. and is in stark contrast to the sister towns within 100Km radius of the city.
To achieve a vibrant community, Bass Coast needs a more diverse economy that provides convenient jobs for residents to ensure sustainable communities. It means supporting the development of industry sectors with strong prospects for employment, professional services and tourism.
Despite the large number of people visiting Bass Coast and Phillip island, as an observer I do wonder if the present tourist economy benefits many in the region. The focus on the Penguin Parade is such a preoccupation and seems to involve relatively few to conduct it. A strategy designed to promote other worthy assets in the region may entice tourists to linger longer with improved employment opportunities and a lift to the collective bottom line.
These days TV programs extol the benefits and pleasures of rail journeys throughout the world.
The Wonthaggi line was taken up in 1980s for the want of vision. Sections of the trail have since been developed for walkers and bike riding but the easement could readily be returned to rail and the bike trail continued, notwithstanding that a toilet block has been built on the line in the township of Koo Wee Rup. These days, all are aware of the need to achieve the above with minimal cost to the environment.
Peter Cliff grew up on a farm in Glen Forbes and maintains strong links with the area despite living in Mt Eliza.
The population of Wonthaggi fell when the State coalmine closed in 1968 and again when the train service ceased. Blows of this magnitude are hard to overcome. Despite this, the population has risen slowly but unemployment is high and young people have to leave for education and employment opportunities.
The Gippsland Regional Growth Plan (May 2014) forecasts a profound change to the demography of the region. In 1996 people aged over 65 formed 12 per cent of the population; by 2041 they are expected to make up 30 per cent, which has major implications for health, social and cultural services. and is in stark contrast to the sister towns within 100Km radius of the city.
To achieve a vibrant community, Bass Coast needs a more diverse economy that provides convenient jobs for residents to ensure sustainable communities. It means supporting the development of industry sectors with strong prospects for employment, professional services and tourism.
Despite the large number of people visiting Bass Coast and Phillip island, as an observer I do wonder if the present tourist economy benefits many in the region. The focus on the Penguin Parade is such a preoccupation and seems to involve relatively few to conduct it. A strategy designed to promote other worthy assets in the region may entice tourists to linger longer with improved employment opportunities and a lift to the collective bottom line.
These days TV programs extol the benefits and pleasures of rail journeys throughout the world.
The Wonthaggi line was taken up in 1980s for the want of vision. Sections of the trail have since been developed for walkers and bike riding but the easement could readily be returned to rail and the bike trail continued, notwithstanding that a toilet block has been built on the line in the township of Koo Wee Rup. These days, all are aware of the need to achieve the above with minimal cost to the environment.
Peter Cliff grew up on a farm in Glen Forbes and maintains strong links with the area despite living in Mt Eliza.
30 RM at the Powlett River trestle near Wonthaggi with the RTA Wonthaggi to Anderson tour, 22 October 1977, six weeks before service ended. Photo courtesy of G. Cargeeg, GSWRHS,
(Creative Commons)
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P.S rail would never be rebuilt on top of the dunes at Kilcunda.
"But what about the poor?", you may be asking. Let 'em walk!
Some of the old country rail services in Europe and Britain have been revived by community involvement but these are few and far between. Mostly these have shut for good.
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/program/walking-britains-lost-railways
(interesting stories here). Victoria did not fare any better once the mining and timber carriage was over.
It was very sad to see the infrastructure fall into 'essential maintenance only' mode and witness the shift of passengers and freight from railways onto the roads. The 'convenience' of cars made them very popular and that is still the case today.
There are quite a few detractors of rail trails, some of them believe that the cycling fraternity have stolen the trains from them. While I would like to see trains return to South Gippsland I believe the rail trails are an excellent use of the publicly owned land. I am certain that the existence of rail trails has saved a good number of pedestrians and cyclists from injuries and death because they do not have to share their journeys with cars and trucks. The extension from Woolamai to Nyora, linking the two South Gippsland rail trails, willl create a safe pathway from Wonthaggi to Yarram.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Gippsland_railway_line
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonthaggi_railway_line
https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/traffic-and-road-use/cycling/pop-up-bike-lanes
The missing bit seems to be between Woodleigh and Loch and then towards Nyora. A small stretch of it does seem to go under the South Gippsland Hwy. Also depends which route the Nyora to Leongatha trail takes as that has to come through Loch.
I have read with interest various points of view regarding the Nyora-Wonthaggi railway line. Some readers may recall I was part of a Save our Train Committee set up to try and save the line back in 1977. I travelled this railway many times as I started work as a Bank clerk in Pakenham East and this was my way of coming home to Wonthaggi at weekends.
The destruction of so many country lines is a total disgrace and shows a true lack of foresight by successive governments. I have to disagree with writers extolling the virtues of rail trails. They do not bring in much for the local economy and the bike lobby in the state is very powerful. The recent destruction of the Leongatha line is a case in point, a heavy railway ripped up for a few bikes is hardly good for the local economy.
The influx of so many heavy vehicles onto our roads has as we predicted in 1977, led to the roads crumbling as they were never designed for such a thumping as they receive from trucks and buses. Our freeways are clogged and there is ever more demand to build bigger and wider roads!
I have always held the dream of a return to rail transport but it needs politicians from all sides to wake up and smell the roses. With an also very powerful road lobby, rail continues to be the poor relation despite its obvious environmental and community benefits.
Maybe I will see a return to rail one day but I am not holding my breath!