Time to move on.  Had a great walk with our friend Tanya yesterday and she’s had similar issues with cretins recently so it was a good therapy session. 

I wrote to the Council last week about the variation in standards on the Rail Trail between Geelong and Drysdale and then from Drysdale to Queenscliff.  The former 19k section is maintained by the Friends of the Bellarine Rail Trail under the auspices of the Geelong Council who do a great job and the latter 17k section comes under the management of the Bellarine Steam Railway who don’t give a rats clacker for it’s maintenance.

This is a portion of the reply from the council.  Bear with me as you’ll be amused near the end.

……..“Firstly I would like to say thank-you for your feedback.  It is of great assistance to receive the thoughts of regular trail users to assist us in our future planning.

In terms of updating you on Councils current plans for the improvement of the Rail Trail I can confirm that we have allocated a significant amount of money for track improvement works during the 2010-11 Financial Year.  These works will focus on sealing several sites that have been identified as maintenance/safety issues as well as extending the existing sealed sections of the trail further towards Queenscliff.  In an attempt to make this money go as far as possible Council will also be apply to the Regional Development Victoria grants programs for supporting funding.

In relation to your comments about the variation between the trail west of Drysdale, and then east of Drysdale, I must advise that Council’s land management authority between these areas varies and this effects our ability to develop the trail to the same standard.  This is a result of the existence of the Steam Railway and their management rights over the majority of the lands within the Rail Trail/railway line corridor.  We do however support the efforts of the Bellarine Landcare Group in the revegetation / weed eradication works they undertake.  I do appreciate you comments regarding the need for additional seating/toilets etc. on this eastern section of the trail and will look at funding these works if the opportunity arises”……………

Mention was made of the Bellarine Landcare Group, and lo and behold, we came across about 100 of them on Friday planting 5000 trees at the old Marcus station site at Banks Rd.  They were heading off for lunch as we arrived but I got chatting to Nickie who gave me insight to the great work these people do and high on their agenda is weed eradication and replanting work all along the Rail Trail. 

Great stuff but having the Bellarine Railway dudes responsible for the Trail’s upkeep is about as a good as a fart in a spacecraft. They have no interest in maintaining the track and I was told the only thing they do is slash foliage for fire prevention each summer which usually involves slashing all the trees they have just planted.

And here I was thinking that I was moving on from from talking about cretins.

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