Wasted Infrastructure in Paradise

                                 The dormant Casino to Murwillumbah Rail Link
                                
 The old timers invested heavily in rail. Memories of the people and freight moving constantly between states and through towns by rail are still held sentimentally in the minds and hearts of many Australians. Today rail is still used extensively but many rail links are now not in use as the cost of running and maintaining isn't very economical compared to moving freight by road. Road freight using large b-double trucks or single trailer trucks is more favoured instead of rail transport.  Although rail freight is still important to keep supplies of many goods between cities for distribution throughout regional Australia.

                      Railway Station at Murwillumbah stands strong but remains unused
                                  
                                      Proposals that fell through for the rail link
Since services were suspended in 2004 many people throughout the region want the trains back that linked towns such as Casino, Lismore, Ballina, Lismore, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah. The hope that rail will service the area once again and link up to the Gold Coast and onto Brisbane is favourable within the Northern Rivers community. 
                                                             Rail Trail Fail
A proposal to turn some of the link to a rail trail in the hope that it would stimulate tourism with visitors walking and cycling along the stretches couldn't receive the vital funding and lost support of council.

                                                   Miles of rail lays across the region 
                                                               Alternative Solution 
Billions of dollars and mass amounts of time are currently going into driverless car technologies. Four universities in Australia alone are developing the technology not to mention all the other universities throughout the world working on the development of driverless technology. Volvo, Google and many other large organisations are trying to speed the progress of this technology. Driverless trains are now becoming a reality in Europe.

https://www.facebook.com/MechanicsAndEngineering/videos/1865236933760921/

The Tweed, Byron and Ballina shires should be approaching these organisations to test and use driverless trams along these unused corridors. Driverless trams/buses could be a viable passenger transport system or it may be just a novelty tourist attraction that only uses part of the existing disused rail system. Driverless trams/buses have wheels and will not need rail and electric lines to run and instead run on wheels on a level paved track. This would save millions on infrastructure costs and ongoing maintenance costs of this utility.
Funding doesn't need to be sought from the government as much if the large organisations that back the research take to funding a driverless tram project through the historic Northern Rivers Rail link. The attraction for these organisations is to be seen as the innovators of this type of transport being prototyped through one of the countries most beautiful tourist destinations. Images of driverless tram-bus type capsule transport travelling throughout the rail link would be good exposure for both the concept developer and the region, attracting visitors. Visitors love to ride through remote areas on novel transport. Councils should begin to contact these organisations to grow interest into this type of technology to be used in this way along the Casino-Murwillumbah link. Even bringing some representatives out for a look or at least sending images with a report may stimulate further interest to get the link working again as a commercial/tourist or research project. As organisations such as Google and Volvo and the many universities working to driverless technology into the present day, this may be an opportunity for the region to benefit from this currently unused asset.
These images below were taken recently on the Coromandel Peninsula region of New Zealand were hundreds of tourists board this small tram (for $35) that runs a small distance into the forest showing were the potter used to retrieve his clay from to do his pottery. This location is actually a pottery themed successful tourist destination.   

                               Visitors love to ride through remote areas on novel transport

The changing scene of Australian Pubs throughout regional areas

                                                
                                     The changing scene of Australian Pubs 


                                                  CHANGING TIMES
Australian pubs in regional towns were once operating with high patronage of local drinkers often stopping in on most afternoons after working a hard shift.  Going home often tipsy to their wives and children drink driving regulations were still lame back in the 1970s. My father was one of the many that had a favourite local bar, drinking 5 or 6 pots (or more) after work before getting back in his car to venture back home often half tanked.
                                             DRINK DRIVING ENFORCEMENT
When high numbers of car accidents and many deaths from traffic incidents were found to be alcohol related the time for enforcement of drink driving laws came into place and the testing of drivers for alcohol in their systems was in full swing by the mid 1980's. This meant that the majority of drivers tested with above .05 alcohol blood levels were breaking the law and would be issued with fines and suspended licenses. This is one issue why large numbers of workers don't visit bars after work as they had done up until the 1980s. The other reasons can be put down to an increasing awareness of health related issues, men encouraged and expected to spend more time with their families and tighter economic times. As well as having to pay for expensive over the bar drinks compared to buying takeaway alcohol and drinking at home some workers just prefer to go to the gym or go training. Another factor is the rise of the caf'e/coffee culture.

                     Central location of Court House Hotel gives it constant passing trade   
                                          WHAT THE PUBS ARE DOING
The pubs that are longer open for business as they once were in there heyday of the pre 1980's are now being turned into apartments or divided into sections for retail stores and cafe's.
The town of Murwillumbah in Far Northern N.S.W  is a typical regional average size country town with a history of cane farms, timber production, fishing, banana and cattle farming as well as supportive industries that employed healthy numbers of thirsty workers. It seems that many hotels held there original business model except for the introduction of pokey machines right up until recent times. In 2006 Murwillumbah had six hotels/pubs, a bowling club and an R.S.L. In 2017 Murwillumbah has 2 pubs still keeping their original business model, the R.S.L still in operation and one pub is open as a bottle shop, recently trying to pass a proposal to turn the space into a fuel service station.

                                         Spaces available at the recently sold Imperial

                                          Retail clothes space at the Murwillumbah Hotel

                             Once popular Round House Tavern now trading only as a bottle shop

                                                Plenty of space for lease at the Imperial
Look to many other towns in Australia and see that Murwillumbah is not a solitary example. Bendigo, Kalgoorlie and many other towns have had pubs change the way they do business or turn into another establishment form altogether. Regional areas are not the only examples though with many suburban and inner city hotels also having to change their traditional business model as the demand for after work water holes is a trend of the distant past.

The River View is still able to trade as a normal pub  and has invested in dining area renovations and other upgrades. The location of the hotel (1st pub as you enter town) and views of the river make this hotel popular.

                               Indian restaurant occupies large space of Murwillumbah Hotel

                                                    COFFEE-CAFE CULTURE

It is interesting on the emergence of cafes has increased throughout Australia. Taking Murwillumbah again as an example which has at least ten cafes in the central town area as well as one in the R.S.L. Again this is a reoccurring pattern throughout every town around Australia where cafes grow in popularity and pubs close or change their business model.

                               JuJus café occupies a space at the former Murwillumbah Hotel.
                                               ACCOMODATION CENTRES
Old hotels or pubs can sometimes have many room spaces usually on the second level overlooking the street of a town. Many pubs have utilised this resource as  affordable accommodation  for backpackers and tourists. Murwillumbah Hotel in the main street of town have refurbished their retro rooms for rent and have begun renting out the rooms as a attractive option for a comfortable stay in the central part of town.