On the board of Derwent Valley Railway

With my previous support for rail in Tasmania, and a wish to see investment in our tourism economy especially in the Derwent Valley, I have taken on the role of a board member for Derwent Valley Railway.

I hope to see years of neglect undone and some progress made. This venture will be a slow one. Many previous issues need to be rectified while stations and tracks are improved, so one day we can go full steam ahead.

As we see in many other countries, rail is making a comeback — not just for tourism but as a pragmatic answer to congested travel in communities. Park-and-ride from Brighton into Hobart would take pressure off Metro. Buses feeding trains is how you move people without pretending a hydrofoil to New Norfolk is everyday transport.

My support will always go well beyond Derwent rail. This is a connected system that needs a coordinated effort. On council I will still put local roads ahead of heritage steam. Both can be true.