The $2.1m Penola Coonawarra Rail Trail will no longer have its northern terminus at Father Woods Park.
The March monthly meeting of Wattle Range Council instead supported the motion by Councillor Dale Price to continue the trail along the closed rail line to the council boundary on the Penola Hundred Line Road.
The council has thus reversed an earlier proposal to use an unmade road reserve to link up with Father Woods Park on the Riddoch Highway.
This council-owned road reserve bi-sects the farming property of Peter and Elke Hocking and they had opposed this route.
Mr Hocking was present in the public gallery and he spoke in support of the revised route.
Council also considered a consultants’ report which highlighted the safety concerns of cyclists and walkers crossing Riddoch Highway at Father Woods Park.
Engineering services director Peter Halton said an underpass/tunnel would address the safety concerns.
He said this option could cost up to $500,000 while Cr Kevin McGrath said the high-water table in the area could create problems.
Cr Price said the ultimate destination should be Naracoorte as the historic tree near Father Woods Park was not the one where the pioneering Catholic priest celebrated mass in colonial times.
“The statues in Father Woods Park should be moved to the Penola township,” Cr Price said.
His motion also stated the Father Woods Park Committee of the Catholic Church will also be advised that council will not proceed with any projects as previously suggested at Father Woods Park.
Meanwhile, matters relating to the southern terminus of the Penola Coonawarra Rail Trail were also canvassed at the meeting with Cr Chris Brodie successfully moving a two-part motion.
Council will seek to vary the contract with TFS Civil to construct the Rail Trail to Penola Hundred Line and build a car park at that location.
It will also investigate the redirection of any excess budgeted funds for the further upgrade of the licensed land in the vicinity of the Penola Railway Goods Shed.
Following lengthy debate and a 6/4 vote, council will remove the cypress trees from the parkland in this area and replace them with appropriate trees as a part of the Penola Coonawarra Rail Trail landscape development and maintain them as part of the annual operational budget.
The ageing cypress trees might be replaced with a grove of trees to honour the 70th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Her Majesty the Queen.
Council chief executive Ben Gower said he would investigate a special Federal Government grant of up to $20,000 to commemorate the unprecedented platinum anniversary of the sovereign.
With his tongue-in-cheek, Cr Peter Dunnicliff suggested the 95-year-old might visit the council area.
