Snowy Monaro Regional Council will again debate constructing a section of the Monaro Rail Trail at Bombala, despite voting in favour of the project at last month’s meeting.

At the February monthly meeting, council voted six to five to start building five kilometres of rail trail at Bombala.

The trail would run from the Bombala township, north along the rail corridor.

Cr John Rooney will bring a rescission motion before council at this month’s meeting, calling on his fellow councillors to reconsider their position.

Council debated a motion for more than two hours in February, before deciding to build the trail along the rail corridor.

This differed from the staff recommendation to support a shared use corridor as agreed by corridor stakeholders - Friends of Bombala Railway, Monaro Rail Trail and Cooma Monaro Railway - at a meeting between council and the three groups in November.

Council staff recommended progressing with an ‘off-formation’ rail trail (next to the railway line).

Councillors Tanya Higgins, Lynda Summers, Bob Stewart, Tricia Hopkins, Narelle Davis and Nick Elliott voted in favour of progressing the Bombala rail trail project.

Councillors Chris Hanna, Luke Williamson, Andrew Thaler, Reuben Rose ad John Rooney voted against.

Cr Bob Stewart welcomed the decision, saying the rail trail at Bombala is needed to strengthen the town’s tourist economy.

“Our community needs a bit of help,” Cr Stewart said.

“We aren’t talking about the whole project, just a small part of it.

“If we don’t get this trail going from town out along the line, all you are doing is taking our community back.”

Council received a $1million grant from Member for Eden-Monaro, Kristy McBain, to construct five kilometers of rail trail at Bombala.

Cr John Rooney spoke against starting the rail trail.

He said council must better understand the costs and liabilities of taking ownership of the rail corridor.

“The depreciation charge of the rail corridor will land with council. We don’t know if we can fund it,” Cr Rooney said.

“Where does the corridor begin and end. A corridor also includes the stations, and they are extremely costly to maintain.”

Council next meets on Thursday, 19 March in the Cooma chambers from 11am for public forum and 1pm for the meeting agenda.