A Challenging Year Marks Progress

The twelfth Annual General Meeting for the Friends of the Bendigo-Kilmore Rail Trail, held in November, saw retiring President Garry Long report on the group’s community involvement over the past 12 months. Highlighted were members enjoying a number of organised social activities, successfully attracting grants that enabled trail related projects to be completed, whilest planning work undertaken is expected to have positive implications in expanding Victoria’s trail network in the future.

The group’s achievements in the past 12 months included upgrading trail infrastructure for one of the first rail trails in Australia, the O’Keefe Rail Trail (1992), progressing the ongoing development for the proposed Wallan to Heathcote Rail Trail, as well as working with Parks Victoria to improve the aging 70km Bendigo Bushland Trail.

The completion of the static heritage former Victorian Railway’s railway wagon project, located on the O’Keefe Rail Trail at Axedale, was a significant outcome as the only such heritage railway display in central Victoria. Of course connection with community has remained important for the Friends group, with an example of such involvement being assisting small town Primary Schools with their cycling activities.

While stepping down after 12 years as President, Garry thanked retiring Treasurer of 10 years Colin Campbell, the Executive committee and Action Teams as well as the Friends group’s general members for their continuing support, involvement and contributions over those 12 years.

The incoming Executive members for 2022 are President Colin Scott, Vice President Geoff O’Sullivan, Secretary Diane Bourne, Assistant Secretary Paul Ferguson, and Treasurer Margie Joyce.