Proudly supported by the Donaldson Conservation Trust
Active Transport: The Richmond Vale Rail Trail Conference
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Wednesday 27 September 2017 at University of Newcastle, Callaghan Campus 8:30am till 4pm
Our conference aimed at addressing the local benefits of an active transport system, and in identifying areas such as the Richmond Vale Rail Trail (RVRT) that could be converted into a highly utilised system and corridor for active transport.
The RVRT concept offers walkers, naturalists, bird lovers and conservation students a wonderful chance to observe the scenic beauty and extraordinary ecological diversity along the trail, from the tidal swamps through to the rugged forests of the Sugarloaf Ranges, contained within the Stockrington State Conservation Area. The RVRT offers a unique opportunity to all, as the gentle gradients along much of the rail trail make it suitable for most fitness and ability levels.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and Pathways to Sustainability (P2S) underpinned the themes of this conference by bringing our attention to the benefits such a corridor could bring locally, such as Education and Conservation Studies, Health and Wellbeing, an intuitive trail with links to our Smart City, Recreation as well as the economic benefits through Tourism.
Active transport can include walking, cycling, skating, skateboarding and any incidental activity associated with the use of public transport. It reduces carbon emissions, is sustainable, interactive, educational, healthy and has many economic benefits.
Our conference aimed at addressing the local benefits of an active transport system, and in identifying areas such as the Richmond Vale Rail Trail (RVRT) that could be converted into a highly utilised system and corridor for active transport.
The RVRT concept offers walkers, naturalists, bird lovers and conservation students a wonderful chance to observe the scenic beauty and extraordinary ecological diversity along the trail, from the tidal swamps through to the rugged forests of the Sugarloaf Ranges, contained within the Stockrington State Conservation Area. The RVRT offers a unique opportunity to all, as the gentle gradients along much of the rail trail make it suitable for most fitness and ability levels.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and Pathways to Sustainability (P2S) underpinned the themes of this conference by bringing our attention to the benefits such a corridor could bring locally, such as Education and Conservation Studies, Health and Wellbeing, an intuitive trail with links to our Smart City, Recreation as well as the economic benefits through Tourism.
Active transport can include walking, cycling, skating, skateboarding and any incidental activity associated with the use of public transport. It reduces carbon emissions, is sustainable, interactive, educational, healthy and has many economic benefits.
| Conference Program - Wednesday 27th September | |||
| Start | Session | Speaker | Company |
| 8:30 AM | Registration | ||
| 9:00 AM | CONFERENCE OPENS | ||
| Welcome and Acknowledgement of Country | Tim Roberts | Tom Farrell Institute, University of Newcastle | |
| Official Welcome from Meryl Swanson MP | Ms Meryl Swanson MP Member for Paterson, NSW |
Federal Parliament | |
| 9:15 AM | Session 1 - Pathways to Sustainable Tourism | ||
| Pathways to Sustainability: Looking back at the 1997 Conference and The Newcastle Declaration | Mike Mouritz | Murdoch University | |
| Using the UN SDGs to bring benefits to sustainable tourism projects | Graham Brewer | University of Newcastle - CIFAL Newcastle | |
| Active Transport and the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation | Laurie Perry | Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation | |
| Understanding the Tourist as the End-User | Conjoint Prof. Stephen Wearing | University of Newcastle | |
| 10:35 AM | MORNING TEA | ||
| 11:05 AM | Session 2 - Active Transport - Smart and Healthy | ||
| Active Travel: A Paradigm Shift for (Active)Transport Infrastructure | Deborah Moore | The Heart Foundation | |
| Valuing active transport | Dr Ben Ewald | University of Newcastle | |
| Greenways Are Never Popular (Until They’re Built) | Sam Reich | Newcastle Cycleways Movement | |
| How Newcastle City Council is supporting active transport | Tim Askew | Newcastle City Council | |
| 12:30 PM | LUNCH | ||
| 1:00 PM | Session 3 - Rail Trails and Sustainable Living | ||
| Delivering Active Transport in Lake Macquarie | Helen Plummer | Lake Macquarie City Council | |
| Tipping the scales: putting people back into street design | Karen Partington | Lake Macquarie City Council | |
| Rail trails – where have they come from (the journey’s beginning); where are they going (the destination) | Mike Halliburton | Mike Halliburton Associates | |
| Community built rail trails in Victoria and NSW | Ant Packer | Parklands Albury Wodonga Ltd | |
| 2:25 PM | Afternoon Tea | ||
| 2:55 PM | Session 4 - Towards the Richmond Vale Rail Trail | ||
| The Richmond Vale Rail Trail - a potted history | David Atkinson | Richmond Vale Rail Trail Inc. | |
| Biodiversity in the local region of the proposed Richmond Vale Rail Trail | Prof. Michael Mahony | University of Newcastle | |
| The Status of the Richmond Vale Rail Trail | Geoff Wickens | Newcastle City Council | |
| Concluding Statements and Close | Tim Roberts | University of Newcastle | |
| 4:10 PM | 10 MINUTE BREAK | ||
| 4:20 PM | "Towards the Richmond Vale Rail Trail" Book Launch | Tim Roberts Tony Sutherland Terry Lewin |
University of Newcastle Chair Donaldson Conservation Trust Donaldson Conservation Trust |
| 4:40 PM | Refreshments | ||
Presenter Profiles and Abstracts
Meryl Swanson MP - Official Welcome
Mike Mouritz - Pathways to Sustainability: Looking back at the 1997 Conference and The Newcastle Declaration
Graham Brewer - Using the UN SDGs to bring benefits to sustainable tourism projects
Laurie Perry - Active transport and the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation
Conjoint Prof. Stephen Wearing - Understanding the Tourist as the End-User
Deborah Moore - Active Travel: A Paradigm Shift for (Active)Transport Infrastructure
Ben Ewald - Valuing active transport
Sam Reich - Greenways Are Never Popular (Until They’re Built)
Tim Askew - How Newcastle City Council is supporting active transport
Helen Plummer - Delivering Active Transport in Lake Macquarie
Karen Partington - Tipping the scales: putting people back into street design
Mike Halliburton - Rail trails – where have they come from (the journey’s beginning); where are they going (the destination)
Ant Packer - Community built rail trails in Victoria and NSW
David Atkinson - The Richmond Vale Rail Trail - a potted history, the beginnings and the environments traversed
Prof. Michael Mahony - Ecology of the Richmond Vale Rail Trail landscapes
Geoff Wickens - The Status of the Richmond Vale Rail Trail
Mike Mouritz - Pathways to Sustainability: Looking back at the 1997 Conference and The Newcastle Declaration
Graham Brewer - Using the UN SDGs to bring benefits to sustainable tourism projects
Laurie Perry - Active transport and the Wonnarua Nation Aboriginal Corporation
Conjoint Prof. Stephen Wearing - Understanding the Tourist as the End-User
Deborah Moore - Active Travel: A Paradigm Shift for (Active)Transport Infrastructure
Ben Ewald - Valuing active transport
Sam Reich - Greenways Are Never Popular (Until They’re Built)
Tim Askew - How Newcastle City Council is supporting active transport
Helen Plummer - Delivering Active Transport in Lake Macquarie
Karen Partington - Tipping the scales: putting people back into street design
Mike Halliburton - Rail trails – where have they come from (the journey’s beginning); where are they going (the destination)
Ant Packer - Community built rail trails in Victoria and NSW
David Atkinson - The Richmond Vale Rail Trail - a potted history, the beginnings and the environments traversed
Prof. Michael Mahony - Ecology of the Richmond Vale Rail Trail landscapes
Geoff Wickens - The Status of the Richmond Vale Rail Trail
Conference Sponsors
Donaldson Conservation Trust
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