New plan for Camperdown-Timboon Rail Trail

Published on 25 November 2020

Caption: Mayor Ruth Gstrein accepting the Camperdown-Timboon Rail Trail Management Plan from Committee of Management members Pat Robertson and Greg Farmer. 

The Camperdown-Timboon Rail Trail will need more than $800,000 in upgrades over the next five years to ensure the trail remains safe and meets visitor expectations, according to a new management plan.

The Camperdown- Timboon Rail Trail Committee of Management has launched the 10 year plan to guide future management of the 30 kilometre trail between Camperdown, Cobden and Timboon.

The plan identifies priority works such as replacing five by-pass bridges; widening and repairing sections of the trail; installing handrails and new signage; and improving drainage.

Longer term goals include an alternative user-friendly route from Camperdown to Naroghid and new equipment for regular upgrades and maintenance.

Committee of Management president Pat Robertson said the plan had given the nine-member volunteer committee a sense of direction and confidence.

“We’ve needed a detailed management plan from the word go,” Mrs Robertson said.

“We now have an idea of what our assets are and what needs to be done.

“The trail opened in 2010 and the initial work was done by volunteers. All the by-pass bridges are now due for replacement,” she said.

“The committee is extremely grateful to the Corangamite Shire for helping to develop the plan,” Mrs Robertson added.

The committee plans to finance the upgrades through government grants, support from Corangamite Shire, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) and some fundraising. Mrs Robertson estimated that volunteers spend nearly 1000 hours each year maintaining the trail and trestle bridge.

“It’s a huge task, but one we all enjoy doing,” she said.

“People really do love walking or riding through the bush and we often get comments that people love the fact that the trail is really natural, not asphalt.

“There are always trees falling across the track, always clearing that needs to be done. We have a member who works out on the trail four days on, four days off,” she added. But it’s not just the physical side, with Mrs Robertson estimating she spends an average two days a week on administrative work such as writing grant applications.

“Applying for grants and securing funding should be a lot easier because we can refer back to the plan,” she said.

Mayor Ruth Gstrein said the trail had become a highly valued community asset and had the potential to become a significant visitor attraction once linked to the new Twelve Apostles Trail (Timboon to Port Campbell) section.

“We will have more visitors accessing the coast on foot or bike from Camperdown train station in the future.

“We owe this small volunteer committee an enormous gratitude for the vision and work done over the past decade to establish and maintain the trail, and for the major work they are about to embark upon.” “This plan is really important because it supports the committee to carry out a vision, which will benefit our communities well into the future,” Cr Gstrein said